Miriam is an aspiring mental health nurse hoping to work in a Christian setting. She blogs at The Motions of Miriam
To be a woman is described by the
Oxford Dictionary ‘an adult human female.’ Simple I guess? According to the
dictionary a woman is a human being who is biologically female and is able to
bear offspring, and the word lady means to be a refined, polite woman who
demonstrates “womanly” characteristics, such as meekness or timidity. The Bible
Dictionary describes how the word "woman" is used to imply tenderness
and courtesy and not disrespect. I wanted to look into the root of those words because
I find myself struggling to grasp the true meaning of what it means to be a
woman in a world that offers contradicting messages! It was then that I came
across a quote by C.S. Lewis, who said:
“If our religion is
something objective then we must never avert our eyes from those elements in it
which seem puzzling or repellent; for it will be precisely the puzzling or the
repellent which conceals what we do not yet know and need to know.”
Being a woman of God presents us with a
firm truth about our identity. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be challenges,
struggles, hurt or loss, but instead offers us comforting reassurance if we
choose seek it.
“But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about
tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own.” (Matthew 6:33-34)
We learn that we belong to the creator
of the universe and if He cares for even a mustard seed, then how could He turn
his head from those He made in His own image and
likeness (Genesis 1:27). Everyone has a responsibility and a place in
this world which they have been created for and are therefore capable of
carrying out. As people of God, we should set out to complete our God-given
purpose with all of the strength and power we have been given to do so. As
women we are often expected to be someone we are not because we live in fear of
not being loved or accepted.
I decided to Google ‘the characteristics
of a woman’ and a kind gentleman had listed 10 qualities of a ‘real’ woman:
1. A
Real Woman Is Confident - happy with
herself and her own abilities
2.
A
Real Woman Is Honest And Upfront
3.
A
Real Woman Has A Healthy Handle On Her
Emotions - Knows that it’s okay to be down for that one week a month but
has control over her emotions
4.
A
Real Woman Is Strong And Independent - Her ability to be so
strong is derived from her own knowledge, intuition and ambition
5.
A
Real Woman Has Patience - able to
use the proper resources to conquer any problem
6.
A
Real Woman Shares The Right Amount Of
Drama - Positive and negative
7.
A
Real Woman Has A Defined Purpose -
she has great goals and desires and with the right amount of inspiration and
motivation anything is possible
8.
A
Real Woman Is Secure - comfortable
in her own skin. Jealousy, doubt and
fear go out the window because she is confident in herself and her choice in a
partner – as well as her partners choice in her
9.
A
Real Woman Is There - a strong link
in the chain that holds those close to her together
10. A Real Woman Values A Real Man - She appreciates and respects the value and
worth of the men in her life. She knows
that part of being a great woman is recognizing and embracing the qualities of
a great man. She does not need a man in
her life to be happy, but if she has one she stands by him. She believes in his purpose and who he is.
Of course we all know that everyone is
unique and we all have different skills and attributes, but when we find
ourselves drawn into worldly behaviours that almost want us to become ashamed
of who we are and only see what we aren’t. Think about the amount of companies
that make profit from our low self-worth!
If we all began to see how invaluable we are then these companies that drive us
into looking for flaws and imperfections, which are actually the very things
that make us unique, would be forced to change their views or become nothing
more than history.
We are so often unable to see our
worth, but quick to see the worth of others – worth that was present during Creation,
when God created woman to be a priceless gift to mankind. It is through reading
about women in the Bible who have overcome weakness, struggles and powerful
rulers – such as in the book of Esther – where we learn about how God used tem
and their circumstances to carry out His divine plans. Through Esther we see
how God uses women to create such a powerful impact, and are reminded of who we
can be too if we learn to overcome the fears in our own minds. If we trust,
obey, surrender and believe that God is always with us – no matter what our
situation or circumstance may be – if we believe that we, as women, have been ‘chosen for just such a time as this’ (Esther
4:14) we can show the world what God can do, ‘for
we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength’ (Philippians 4:13).
In Titus 2:3-5 we are taught, as women
of God, that we should live in such a way as to ensure that we don’t live
against God or do evil things that the world wants us to do. Instead these
teachings encourage us to be wise and live in the right what that shows that we
serve God.
Below are 10 ways in which the book of Titus teaches the women of God to live,
along with how I think we can relate this to our lives now in the 21st
Century. We are told to live a life where we are:
Holy in behaviour: Living a holy life in an unholy
world
Not to speak against others: Speaking kindly in a graceless
world
Not to fall into habit of drinking too much
wine: Disciplining
ourselves in a disorderly world
To be teachers of what is good: Modelling Godliness in an sinful
world
To Love our husbands: Self-sacrificing in a selfish world
Love our children:
Nurturing in a loveless world
Be wise and pure:
Focusing on God and pursuing modesty in a foolish and immodest world
Good workers at home:
Pursuing stewardship in a unfriendly world
To be kind: Showing
kindness in a cruel world
To be obedient to our husbands:
Pursuing obedience in a rebellious world
'What does
it mean to you to be a woman of God in the 21st Century?'
To be a woman
of God in the 21st Century, for me, means to actively seek God first
and to reject all other lies that modern culture tells me will satisfy my
needs. It means to serve the Lord by setting an example to those around me that
reveals God in all His glory. It means to live my life only to please Him. It
means to be faithful in all of my ways but accepting that I am not perfect, but
through Christ I learn.
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