By Nicky Dell
I have to say that when I was given this title for a blog, I laughed.
I am a 53-year-old menopausal woman, on many days the only thing you feel is bloated. What’s even worse is finding whiskers on your chin and finding another wrinkle on your face.
Do I feel like a woman, on some days, Nooo, I definitely do not.
The problem with basing one’s identity on feelings it that your feelings change, they are circumstantial. When I have my hair done or my nails done, I feel good about myself. When I am not feeling good, my jeans feel tight or I have a pimple on my face, does this disqualify me as a woman?
The opening verse to the Shania Twain song with the title, Man! I feel like a woman goes:
Let’s go girls
I’m goin’ out tonight, I’m feelin’ alright
Gonna let it all hang out…
Hold the phone, what, these words are a bit dodgy. I kept reading and just won’t carry on quoting the words any further.
As Christian women there is no way we can behave in this way, can you imagine the scandal, Haha.
So, if this is a standard, it certainly isn’t a Christ like standard, so where does that leave us as Christian women, are we now excluded from feeling womanly.
While the world places the standards of a woman based on external factors, we as Christian women have a different standard that the Lord has called us to.
The Proverbs 31 v 10 to 31 woman is a good place to start in understanding a Godly view of what a Christian woman should be, not feel, the total contrast of “feeling and being” becomes so evident when we read this scripture. Our walk with God, is a journey, it’s a journey of being in Christ, of our mind being renewed to a different way of thinking, let’s take a look at what standards we should be focusing on instead of conforming to the world’s total unobtainable view.
We as women are worth more than diamonds – when diamonds are mined, they look nothing like the finished product we see, the diamond is cut, buffed, and polished, each diamond is refined in a unique way to suit its internal makeup. We as women of God also go through a refining process, as we allow Him to work in us, God sees the final product, He knows the unique way to work with us to produce a diamond of immense value.
We are women of integrity – God places and works in us a character of trustworthiness. Through Him we are trusted with being women of our word, our yes is yes, and our no is no. He trusts us to walk alongside other women. We refuse to gossip, we are real, we value others, when people have been in our presence they feel built up and encouraged.
We are women in the workplace – The Lord places us in positions of influence as leaders in the home alongside our husbands who we support as head of the home, as well as the commercial world.
We are women of skills, and we are unique – the Lord has made us women of large capacity, He gives us wisdom and discernment to prosper in our homes, in our finances, in the workplace and in our church community.
We are women of hospitality – our husbands may be the head of the home, but we are the heart. We create the atmosphere of welcome to others and a place of rest and peace where members of our family can receive love and comfort. We are women who speak with kind words and encouragement.
The Proverbs 31 scripture concludes by saying:
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
But a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
So what does that last line mean, what does fearing the Lord look like?
It means that we are women who are strong and dignified, we have the peace of God, and we are filled with joy, not because our lives are easy but because we have a close relationship with God and we trust Him. Proverbs 23:17, the fear of the Lord is a continual submission to God in humility and faith and consists of a hatred of evil and the desire to turn away from it.
What happens when we fear the Lord? In Psalm 103:17 and Psalm 25:14, “Those who fear the Lord receive His steadfast love and experience friendship with God.
So feeling like a woman based on Shania’s song will leave you feeling insufficient, lacking, insecure. Our feelings are part of us and can’t be dismissed, but there is more to us as women than our feelings and our worth can’t be based on how we feel.
The Proverbs 31 women shows that true womanhood has less to do with your place as a wife or mother, and everything to do with your posture of heart, surrendered and submitted to God, in fear and reverence of him.
So what’s next then?
Let’s Go Girls!!
Let’s Go – do what God wants us to do, not what we feel we are supposed to do
Let’s go – focus on being a child of God
Let’s Go – knowing that tomorrow is a new day, filled with His new grace and mercy
Let’s Go – care for other women and build them up
Let’s Go – open up our homes
Let’s Go – have the heart of a servant
Let’s Go – using your talents, God gave them to you to benefit His people
Let’s Go Girls!!