Being powerful isn’t always about adding to a growing list of accomplishments and accolades, nor is it having a certain level of status and access. For pastor, author, businesswoman, wife and mother Sarah Jakes Roberts, true power is being able to tap into your inner self and authentically live in your truth, however that may look for you.
“I felt like power, the definition of it and who has it has been hijacked by this notion that fame, popularity and riches automatically make you powerful. What I have learned in serving others over the years is that people with all of those qualifiers still feel stuck,” Jakes Roberts tells EBONY. “It made me realize that until we are intentional about defining power for ourselves, we may fall victim to pursuing someone else’s definition of power in our own lives.”
Image: Amazon.
After years of personal introspection, the “Woman Evolve” podcast host wanted to share this realization more profoundly. Thus, her upcoming book, Power Moves: Ignite Your Confidence & Become a Force, was born. Officially releasing on April 30, 2024, this new read will allow readers to determine whether they’re living life authentically or simply maintaining the status quo.
As she writes in her latest book, Jakes Roberts was forced to backtrack on various chapters in her life. Despite the titles and wearing multiple hats on a daily basis, there were times when she didn’t always feel she was the powerhouse that society made her out to be.
“I rested on the reality that true power is authenticity and honesty, but it’s also fluidity. When people name all the roles I present—wife, mother, businesswoman, pastor—they all embody a different definition of power. How I am as a businesswoman is not the same as who I am as a wife. Sometimes power can be me going strong, like for this book tour. But I also recognize there are seasons where the most powerful thing I can do is rest. So for me, Power Moves is just as much about making power moves as it is also realizing that power quite literally moves. There is a fluidity to it that we have to give ourselves the permission to experience.”
Another large part of moving into your power is caring for yourself. While that can look different for each individual, the ONE Los Angeles pastor and recent TIME 100 honoree shares that for her, it was about knowing when to ask for help.
Sarah Jake Roberts. Image: Cyndi B.
As a mom of six with a demanding schedule, she simply can’t be in all places at all times. So, she had to sit back and come to terms with the fact that having the confidence to speak up for herself was one of the most powerful things she could do as a form of self-care.
“You want to talk about power moving, I’ve learned to ask my husband for help. When we first got married, I thought I would be this sitcom wife, doing all the things at once. He didn’t set that standard for me, society did, and I found myself getting burned out often,” she explains. “But balance for me came down to asking for help where it was available and not waiting until I had no other options or I was sick.”
Additionally, Jakes Roberts adds that spending 10 minutes taking a deep breath and shutting down the thoughts she experiences in one role before moving into the next has also been key to stepping into her power.
The author doesn’t want people to mistake or classify Power Moves as another “churchy” self-help book. Rather, she wants people from all walks of life to be able to take something away from it, no matter where they are in their current faith journey.
“I am a woman of faith, and I love God. You have to remember, I never felt like the ‘church girl.’ But I want to be the middle ground and safe space for people who are wondering what faith looks like, and I want to feel like I can serve as a bridge for those people.”
A Bible study will launch alongside the book. According to Jakes Roberts, the book will serve as a starting point for finding your true power, but the study will serve as an additional resource for those who want to dig deeper into God’s power. “It’ll be a second tier of discovery,” she adds.
Power Moves: Ignite Your Confidence & Become a Force is available for pre-order on Amazon.
