On Friday, Oct. 9, the Billy Graham Library will host Cissie Graham Lynch as she launches her new book, “Stand Steady.” The two-part event will feature Lynch recording an episode of her Fearless podcast in front of a live audience as well as a book signing. Read encouragement from Cissie below:

Q. What does it practically look like for a Christian woman to “stand steady” in a constantly changing culture?

I believe it is every woman’s desire to stand in strength in every aspect of her life, but the cultural pressures are strong and persuasive. In Scripture, God tells us—men and women—how we can stand firm in a world that wants to see us fall.

Daniel 11:32 says, “but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (ESV). First, we must study God’s Word to know who He is, and knowing Him deeply equips us to stand in strength—and take action in our homes, communities and even our churches. 

In Stand Steady, I talk about 10 Biblical disciplines we have to keep choosing and practicing daily. We need to build a strong foundation before the pressure comes. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that the wise man heard His words and put them into practice. That means we forgive when we would rather hold a grudge. We tell the truth with gentleness when staying quiet would be easier. We teach our children what God says, even when it’s unpopular.

Those everyday choices prepare us for the moments when our faith is tested. The storm hit both houses in Jesus’ illustration. The difference was the foundation. We stand steady because our lives are built on Jesus Christ.

Q. You’ve said the question, “What kind of woman will you choose to be?” is at the heart of Stand Steady. Why is that question so important for women today?

It’s estimated that we make 35,000 decisions a day—we’re constantly making choices.

Proverbs 14:1 says a wise woman builds her home, while a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. That is a sobering reminder that our choices affect the people God has entrusted to us.

Those everyday choices are also shaping who we become, and they carry eternal weight. Each time we choose to obey God, we’re preparing to stand firm when the storms roll in and our faith is tested.

Following Jesus may cost us comfort, approval, or something we’re afraid to lose. The choices we make today prepare us to answer that greater question: Will we choose Jesus, even when it costs us, or will we choose the world?

Q. Of the 10 Biblical disciplines you explore in the book that prepare us to stand firm, which is most meaningful—or challenging—for you personally?

Forgiveness.

I see so many people operating in unforgiveness and hurt—both in the world and even in the church. I’ve learned my painful lessons of what it looks like to let seeds of resentment take root and strangle relationships.  

From my family, especially through my mom and grandmothers, I’ve learned that we need to be quick to forgive someone.

In Stand Steady, I tell a deeply personal story of how God taught me the power of forgiveness. It wasn’t instant, but it was something I had to choose.

In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a servant who received extraordinary mercy and then refused to extend mercy to someone else. That challenges me. How can I receive God’s forgiveness so freely and then hold tightly to someone else’s debt?

Scripture calls us to forgive because we have been forgiven. That reaches into places we might prefer to leave untouched. It certainly did for me.

Q. What would you say to a woman who knows what Scripture says but is afraid of what standing for truth might cost her?

I would tell her Jesus is worth it.

Following Him may cost you approval, an opportunity, or a relationship you deeply value. Jesus spoke honestly about that. In Matthew 16:24, He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. We cannot make comfort a condition of obedience.

There will be times when we choose Jesus and it will cost us something great. But I don’t believe choosing Jesus in that critical moment will come easily without preparation.

In Stand Steady, we work on daily disciplines that I’ve learned from my family, history, and in Scripture to prepare us for that moment when the pressure is high and the cost is great.

Q. What have you learned from your grandfather, Billy Graham, and your father, Franklin Graham, about standing firmly on Biblical truth while still showing Christ’s love to others?

They taught me to let Scripture carry the authority.

In Stand Steady, I tell the story of how my grandfather wrestled with questions about Scripture. When he was pressured by friends and a changing culture, he decided to accept the Bible as the authoritative Word of God.

That conviction shaped his life and his preaching. He spoke clearly about sin and repentance because he wanted people to know the forgiveness and salvation available through Jesus Christ.

John 1:14 describes Jesus as “full of grace and truth” (NKJV). That’s the example we have to follow. We can stand for truth in a broken world and still have grace.

I’ve learned that from my father by watching his own work in ministry—going to people who are suffering, meeting their needs, and sharing the hope of the Gospel.

Romans 1:16 says the Gospel is “the power of God to salvation” (NKJV). When you believe that message can change someone’s life, you have a reason to share it—even when the conversation feels uncomfortable.

And I learned that from my mom, Jane Graham, and grandmother, Ruth Bell Graham. They loved people in everyday, personal ways. Most importantly, they cared deeply about their eternal future.

Q. What practices have helped you personally stay grounded in God’s Word when life or the culture around you feels unsettled?

Obedience.

Obedience is a choice. There are days we don’t feel like reading God’s Word, but we do it out of obedience. Sometimes we feel like we don’t get anything out of it, but we do it out of an obedient heart.

When we’re in our darkest places and God feels very far away, my grandfather always told me that’s when He is often the closest. Those are the moments when we choose to worship God in obedience because of who He is—even when we don’t feel like it.

There are over two hundred occurrences of the words obey, obeyed, obeying, or obedience in the Bible. Jesus frequently said that He obeyed the Father and called His followers to do the same. On one of those occasions, He said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23).

If the winds and the waves obeyed Jesus, if the demons trembled and obeyed His commands, how much more should we—His sheep—follow and obey our Good Shepherd?

Q. You draw from women in Scripture and history throughout Stand Steady. Is there one woman whose example inspires you, and what can women today learn from her?

In Stand Steady, I tell stories of many men and women who have shaped my life. One of those stories is about Aileen Coleman—she had a profound impact on me.

Aileen was an Australian nurse who followed God’s call to serve Bedouins in Jordan, eventually establishing Annoor Sanatorium for people suffering from tuberculosis. She spent most of her life serving others in Jordan—even declining marriage proposals to remain faithful to the work God called her to do.

Her obedience required real sacrifice.

I’m challenged by her example: Does God have my obedience even when His plans cost me something? Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him in Matthew 16:24. Aileen lived that surrender.

For women today, her life is a reminder that we can trust God with the cost of obedience. Our responsibility is to be faithful to what He asks of us. The fruit belongs to Him.