Shari Rigby believes everyone has a God-given plan for their life and is passionate about helping others find theirs—especially women.
Although Shari is known as one of the leading actresses in faith-based hit films like Overcomer, October Baby, The Least of These, Not Today, and Wildflower— she is also a director, speaker, leader of women’s ministry, and an author.
In her latest book, Consider the Lilies: Get Rooted in Your Destiny by Discovering God’s Plan, Shari shares how God downloaded a plan for her daily walk with Him when she moved to Hollywood back in 2009.
But life hasn’t always been a bed of roses (or lilies) for Shari. Before all of her success, she was hiding from her past which included a teen pregnancy, drugs, abortion, and looking for love in all the wrong places. By the grace of God, she not only found a way out but also found her purpose.
However, discovering her destiny in Christ wasn’t a one-time event, but a journey of faith. Shari recounts her story of redemption in her first book, Beautifully Flawed-Finding Your Radiance in the Imperfections of Your Life. Shari continues to unpack deeper truths and daily practices in order to align us with God’s plan in her latest book. 
In an exclusive interview with SoCal Voice, Shari opened up about Consider the Lilies, her passion for women’s ministry, and what’s next on the horizon.
Tell us about Consider the Lilies—why did you write this book and what is it about?
In our culture, we talk a lot about purpose and calling. We are sold a narrative about what that is. Yet so often I would hear from women who feel broken and they would tell me they had lost their purpose. And I went through it, too, when I first moved Hollywood until God began to teach me practical tools and principles for my life like daily Bible reading. First and foremost, that is what Consider the Lilies does. If you aren’t in your Bible every day, you need to be. We need to be focused on Him.
God gives us passions, yes. But He must be the pursuit of our passions. He is our passion. He is our purpose. We don’t lose our purpose because of a season change, title change, or our children leave our homes. Christ brings us into our calling. So we must explore the gifts and talents God has given us and use them in the places we put our feet while keeping our eyes on Him.
How did the verse from Luke 12 “Consider the lilies…” inspire the title of your book?
We as women live in an incredible time. But like in the verse, too often we are worried, with no purpose, toiling and spinning with anxiety. God did not create us to toil and spin. He reminds us that He eyes for us even greater than He has clothed the kings. What really hit me about lilies were their roots and how they grow down and form colonies. God gives us relationships to grow colonies, to lock arms, and to pour forth into others.
How do you hope this book will inspire women?
First of all, to keep their eyes focused on Christ and that God does have a plan for them. Our daily routines matter. I really try to teach women practical tools and remind them of who they are in Christ and how they’ve been created. And then digging even deeper into that with journaling, prayer life, and a mapping system I share more about in the book. The mapping is a linage and how we are connected to people. Every person we meet is a divine appointment.
Does your book help women with the ever-popular issue of insecurity?
Yes, we are the lilies. We live in a selfie, filtered life where people see only what we want them to see. But like what Jesus teaches in John 21, we are reminded to stop looking at others and look to Him.
How have the women in your life shaped you and this book?
My grandmother was one of five sisters. She loved making pies and reading her Bible—she was always in her Bible. Her sisters were the same and that poured down into my mother. And my mother was always pouring into us with life skills. Also, the women I’ve met in Hollywood over the past eleven years have deeply inspired me.
Tell us about your women’s ministry and how it started.
We went to Los Angeles in 2009 because I thought God was leading us there for me to be a big star, right? (Shari laughs) I was sitting in this acting class with this incredible acting coach and stars and felt I had no talent whatsoever. But I could quickly see the brokenness of those around me and I heard the Lord say, “You are here for my women.” God wanted me to start a praise and prayer group in my home. By 2010, I had started a ministry called The Women in My World, a women’s group focusing on identity, purpose, ministry, serving others, and living life in Hollywood.
What can we expect next from you?
I’m working on a 40 Devotional to go along with Consider the Lilies. Hopefully, that will release in the fall.
Learn more about Shari and her ministry at Shari Rigby.com.
