The Christian actress is passionate about ministering to other women and this literary endeavor aims to help them deepen their walk with the Lord.
Shari Rigby is one of the most prominent actresses in the faith-based genre, having starred in movies like October Baby, The Least of These and Overcomer. She is also one of our favorites, and we are not alone in that, because no less eminent a figure than Stephen Kendrick, who wrote and produced Overcomer, feels the same way. At a Christian film festival we attended last year, he called her "a Godly woman and a prayer warrior," before recommending that every one of us filmmakers in the audience of hundreds try to hire her for our projects, should the opportunity arise.
Rigby is a multi-talented woman who does more than just work in front of the camera. She also produces, directs and writes - screenplays and books - including this latest one, Consider the Lilies, which is her second go as an author.
The book takes its title from Jesus' exhortation to his disciples not to worry about their lives, including what they would eat or how they would clothe themselves. On that latter point, which comes in Luke 12:27, He entreats them to, "Consider how the lilies grow," going on to describe the flowers' beauty, which, though more impressive than even Solomon's in all his splendor, lasts but briefly before fading and making the lilies worthless. Jesus then contrasts them with God's chosen ones, pointing out that if the Almighty thus clothes a flower, "which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you," meaning of course His people, who are infinitely more valuable.
In Rigby's first book, Beautifully Flawed, she shared a personal redemption story, detailing how she struggled with her identity and confronted issues as serious as teen pregnancy, abortion and drug usage before getting serious about her Christian faith in her mid-20s. In this new book, she hopes to help other women do something she did after moving to Hollywood back in 2009, at a time when she was feeling broken and without purpose. As she shares in an interview with Socal Christian Voice, she found that the solution is close communion with God.
"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."
Rigby says that this book will provide women what they need to help them remember who they are in Christ, by teaching them a system of journaling, prayer and something she calls "mapping;" all things she herself uses to stay close to God. The book comes out today and you can get it via this link to the publisher. And you can read her entire interview with Socal Christian Voice here.