Purposefully Feminine

Purposefully Feminine...

That's the name of the next section we're diving into on the Resolution for Women Bible Study. Can I just be real here...I rolled my eyes a bit when I saw the title.

I used to think (ok maybe still do a bit...) that being feminine meant you had to do your make-up every day (I can't tell you how many times someone at work, when I was working would try to make me feel bad for not doing my hair and make up every day, and they'd force me into a make-over that usually left me broke and with a cabinet full of hair and make-up products I had no idea how to use) do your hair every day, wear a dress or a skirt and drink some kind of beverage out of a frilly tea cup. Feminine meant to me having the guys oogle over you and hit on you.

In that definition I'm totally not feminine. Give me jeans and a t-shirt and a pony tail and I'm good to go...there are days when I don't even brush my hair, get out of the shower and up it goes into a ponytail. I own 1 skirt that I haven't worn in 3 years..it's pretty but totally not my style..I brought it out once, tried to wear it but then it went right back on the hanger to be pulled out again in another 3 years...yeah, you will find no girly girl here...

Let me tell you though....if this is you God has a much different view of feminism that we're going to get into during this next month...prayerfully He'll show me as well as you, exactly what being purposefully feminine means.

Being a woman in this sinful world is hard...being a man is hard too but we women are taught that we have to be tough, that we have to compete and work hard to get to the top because it's a man's world out there and we women are the weaker half. We're taught by feminist that those frilly tea cups, make-up wearing dress sporting times are for weak women and it's all about more more more, money money money and work work work. Forget the husband and kids you're a women and you should be running this world!

God says we are no more and no less valuable than our male counterparts. We were created in God's image, we are valuable. We were created to help...Adam couldn't do his God given job without Eve's help...they were equal..until sin entered the garden. All throughout the old testament we see women mistreated, beaten down and pushed to the back and then Jesus came along and He began showing us as well as the men of that time that women were meant to be treasured, to be loved. That they were equal and they had a job to do as well. Time and time again we see Jesus accepting women when it was taboo to do so, we see Him speaking to them, loving on them, saving them and giving grace to them when it was considered scornful. What about the woman at the well? He talked to her when no one should have been talking to her, but He not only talked to her He gave her a specific job to do for Him and as a result MANY people believed in Him....I'd say that gives us a pretty good picture of how much we as women are valued in God's eyes. Jesus couldn't have been born without Mary being willing, you know?

I could go on and on about this but let me just share with you from the Resolution for Women book...I think the author sums this section up perfectly...

"A Christian woman-one who proudly wears the badge of womanhood given by her Father- must resolve to go against the tide. She must stand for what she believes, based on her confidence in the One who has delivered eternal truth to her in writing. She must return to God's design and definition for women and then joyfully embrace, accept, and experience its blessings."

If you're a stay at home mom the world says you're weak, you're lazy and you're a slave...God says you're working for Me and My Kingdom, keep going.

If you're a working mom the world says you're selfish, you're greedy, you're ignoring your family...God says you're working for Me and My Kingdom, keep going

Being a woman is hard, things won't always be easy..your journey is different than mine, mine is different than yours. But you belong to God and sometimes you will be asked to stand up for your beliefs and I know when you do, lives, including yours will be changed.

"You, God's woman, are designed both strong and vulnerable. Powerful, yet tender. More than able yet willing to yield. You are smart, wise, capable, equal in worth, and secure in yourself as you relate to others yet content in your God-given role. You are a paradox-a potent mixture that surprises with your controlled energy, who inspires and entices by your mysterious grace, whose lifestyle causes others to reconsider and refocus their presuppositions, drawing them toward the God who makes a woman so right, deep and captivating. You are constantly in the spotlight, we as woman will cause our daughters to either desire biblical femininity or fight against it. We will encourage our sons to either appreciate it or take advantage of it. This platform is entrusted to us. As a result our whole world will watch us, not only to see how we live but also our attitude as we live it."

Today ask yourself, what kind of woman are you going to be?

What are some of the most noticeable ways you see young women turning away from biblical womanhood?
What biblical principles of womanhood strike you as stifling or repressive? Why?
As we go through this section this month offer your concerns on this topic to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to use this time to answer your concerns and reaffirm His priorities for you in this area.

Beauty is fleeting, charm is deceptive, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised...