Being Woman
Women make a difference in the world, as we work in the home, manage careers, and serve in places of ministry. We advocate for change, as God first changes us. He knows that we are not perfect and he reminds us that his strength is made perfect in our weakness, He knows our nature, and yet he loves us still. We are enough in Him! God wants to bring light into the dark areas of our lives – to heal our souls. The change He wants for us is the change of heart.
A women’s heart that has been transformed by the power of God walks in newness of spirit, soul and body – and brings change to those around her. Her heart is set on pleasing God, she knows that she is “enough,” and she is secure in who she is and where she is in life. She is a woman who is not led astray by the world’s standards of who she should be and does not let human expectations guide her actions. In other words, her heart and mind are set on things above (eternity), not on earthly things.
This woman is the desire of my heart, and sometimes I am her, except that I don’t live in this space consistently. I’ve described the attack of the enemy or the deceitfulness of people as reasons that disturb my being her. Now, I’ve identified another more potent source of disruption, “my thoughts.”
Occasionally, I have difficulty dealing with God’s timing of His Position in my life. I have to remind myself: You’re saved and have gone over enough ground in life with God to know that He is in control. Is it possible that time becomes a burden because of what we think – underneath our heart’s cry, we fear that God will not answer our prayer or will answer in a time we think is too late?
God gives us seasons and time to grow us. These seasons are essential for the change that we need. Sometimes we tend to live what is in our head instead of what God says about us. Maybe you don’t struggle with this, but there are times when a different thought challenges what I believe. I go back to the old story, the one of neglect or lack, and believe that story all over again as if it were still true.
Every time loss, pain, problems, or hardships overwhelm, we must recall the grace of God. It’s simple and profound at the same time—we have to look at what we have left, what’s in our hand, and not what’s wrong with our hand! We’ve got stuff. God can never use what we don’t have, so we must count what we have and work it. This is the act of faith that looks different from the ways we have tried to live life in our own strength!
Changing hearts – this is where we bring awareness to ourselves about what our emotions are doing and how we formulate mindsets or opinions about ourselves along our daily routines. Most of the time we don’t do this; rather, we judge or evaluate our bodies and the feelings that flow. Becoming aware is like a close observation; it does not judge and is not critical or demanding. The goal is to be conscious of one’s behaviors and traits without rating one’s inherent worth as a human being. Awareness notices the surroundings, the interactions, and the results of such goings-on. Recognizing our moods and attitudes will give us a balanced outlook toward a well-informed perception of self.
*Read more about the hidden places of our hearts that God needs for us to surrender, so we can live in a relationship triumphally with Jesus, in my book: Illusions Against Faith – God Knows What Needs Fixing. Copyright 2019 from Amazon. Gayle Smith
This is the road map of identifying our scary places and finding the courage to do something about the “you” you “see.” These findings are not to be considered failings or to be used to multiply feelings of discouragement or hopelessness. Rather, these findings are to give us a new focus, using our strengths to develop our weaknesses in moving forward with improvements.
Most of the time we do a pretty good job of dancing around those areas that we perceive as dark or unknown. It’s as if we really do not trust that real “me” character, or we think we already know this real “me,” so there cannot be anything more to find. The Bible calls this pride! What does that say about our self-image, that inner picture we carry of ourselves? No wonder we most likely struggle with fear, insecurity, low self-esteem, and a host of other misconceptions about “self.” How we feel about ourselves is a determining factor in our success in life and in relationships. If what we see within is not healthy or true of what scripture says about us, then we lose part of our identity.
God never rejects us or abandons us, and He will not leave us in a state of darkness. However, there are illusions against our faith that stand in the way of His best for us.
I have learned this: that women have a specific place with the Father that is unlike that of a man. A certain place that enables us to be daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, aunties, employees, executives, business owners, community workers… and remain faithful to our Father. God provides us with numerous illustrations that are totally unique to our gender, exhibited by women in the Bible. It is when we ignite our spirit toward holding on to the presence of God that we find His leading, helping hands, and our greatness is released.
