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What Christian Women Should Teach Girls About Truthful Womanhood

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  Rachel Dawson What topic related to Christianity, organized religion, and the Bible is trending online and in social media today?

• 2017 Mar 09

Yesterday was International Women'south Day. Many women celebrated by participating in "A Twenty-four hours Without Women" and staying home from their jobs to make a statement, but many others went most life as normal, showing up and doing their work as usual. My own social media feeds were flooded with women sharing posts celebrating women who have shaped their lives or inspired them, reflecting on what it ways to exist a woman, or in some way acknowledging the vacation.

As the mean solar day went on, I found myself thinking almost the youngest women in our club today. I thought about the friends of mine who are pregnant with infant girls who have even so to bring together our world, and I wondered what they'll grow up to hear almost what it means to exist a woman.

When I look at the way the globe treats women, I'm ofttimes saddened. I'm discouraged past the messages in the media, disheartened by the incommunicable physical standards that celebrities and advertizement promote, and frustrated by the stereotypes.

Thankfully, when I expect to the Bible, I find different messages about women. I'm encouraged by the manner Jesus treated women in a club that rated them 2nd at best. I'g inspired by the women who lived out their callings faithfully, even when information technology meant risking their reputations.

When I retrieve almost those baby girls yet to enter our globe, and the immature ones just discovering it, and the teenagers wrestling through it, at that place is and then much I call up they should know about what it truly means to exist a adult female.

"Nosotros are women who were expressionless in our sin, who have been resurrected by God's power, who have get heirs of the crucified King," Katie Laitkep writes for True Woman. "We are women God created in His epitome, designed with dignity and value, who cling to the work of the gospel. Nosotros are women who uphold the Creator-God'southward design of humanity, who see God'south concept of 'male person and female person' as role of His magnificent, purposeful programme. We are women who take been born again, women who bend our knees on the Solid Stone, who humble ourselves in solidarity, "standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving next for the faith of the gospel."

This is what information technology means to exist a adult female.

When the globe says "free yourself," the Bible says "if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed" (John viii:36).

When the globe says "expect this way to be beautiful," the Bible says, "your beauty should not come up from outward adornment… rather, it should be that of your inner cocky, the unfading beauty of a gentle and serenity spirit, which is of great worth in God'southward sight" (1 Peter 3:3-4).

When the world says "be strong, you lot can do it, yous become, girl!" the Bible says "be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power" (Ephesians six:ten).

The Lord'southward means are non the world's ways. What it means to be a adult female is almost so much more than than the world tells us, and equally a woman, I'm grateful Jesus offers me a life that is so much more abundant and free (John 10:10) than anything society could give me.

Chelsea Stanley shared a peachy list in "The First Day Without a Woman" for Desiring God of means we tin stand up for women in the church, and I recollect it applies to women and girls of all ages. Christian women, let's utilize these thoughts every bit a roadmap for how to raise the side by side generation of women well, rooted and established in Christ's love.

Here's her list, with my own thoughts added about how we can apply these ideas to the younger generation:

1. "Give women God's word." From their primeval days, let'southward share the Bible with our girls. There are great resources for teaching the Bible to young children (such as the well-known Jesus Storybook Bible) that volition aid them go familiar with who God is and how he loves them. Read Scripture over, to, and with immature girls so they grow up knowing their identity is found in Christ alone equally honey daughters of the King.
2. "Support women in their callings." Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories include women who encouraged my interests, no thing how childish they might have been. I call back my first course teacher reading my short little handwritten and illustrated stories aloud to my class later lunch, and I remember how proud I felt to run across her view my work equally worth sharing. I've since grown upwardly to be a writer full time, and I can't thank her enough for supporting me in those foundational years. Permit'south do this for all immature women!
3. "Protect women." All women and girls should feel rubber in their own bodies, homes, and communities. However we can, we all should protect their innocence and their freedom. Go on your eyes open up and your eye sensitive to the young women in your life, and be a safety haven for anyone who needs refuge and protection.
4. "Give women a place to belong." Whether information technology's in our homes, in our Sun school classes, in our classrooms, or in our neighborhoods, let's requite girls places they feel safe to explore the world, ask questions virtually life and organized religion, discover who they are, and grow as women.
5. "Requite women a vocalism." Growing up, my parents were great at this, and information technology shaped so much of how I view my own voice. They often asked me questions about things in my life that went beyond just how I was doing, they prayed with me and encouraged me to pray out loud myself, they encouraged my writing, they asked for my opinion, they gave me opportunities to make decisions, and they always supported my interests and how I wanted to express myself. Find ways to interact with the immature women in your life that gives them opportunities to use their voice, whether it'south request thoughtful questions to encourage them to share, or information technology's giving them a risk to piece of work alongside you in some way, or information technology'south building a platform for them to share their story however you can. Let's teach our girls that their voices matter, that information technology isn't just united states that hears them, but the Lord that hears them, sees them, and loves them.
6. "Praise grace at piece of work in women." From their youngest years, we can begin to assert the fruits of the Spirit in our girls. We can praise them when they are kind to a friend, nosotros can encourage them to be loving and gentle, nosotros tin can reward their good behavior, and nosotros can applaud them when they showroom cocky-command. Our words and our actions toward young women will influence them profoundly, and how beautiful would information technology be if nosotros used them to edify, encourage, and equip them to live godly, fruitful lives?

Ann Voskamp sums it up well: "The world has enough women who know how to do their hair. Information technology needs more women who know how to practise hard and holy things."

Women of all ages, yous are beloved. Y'all are cute not just because of how you look, but because of your inner strength, your gifts and your talents, your eye, and your soul. You are chosen to practice great things for the King and his Kingdom. You lot are surrounded by a trunk of believers, and we desire to encourage you and spur yous on as you run this great race of religion. We want to support y'all every stride of the mode, by God'southward grace and through his mighty dear and endless strength. We want you to know what information technology truly ways to exist a woman, and we want you to know we are ever with you on the journey. You truly are beloved.

Photo credit: Unsplash

Publication appointment: March nine, 2017

Rachel Dawson is the editor of BibleStudyTools.com.

ashbyartiontily.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/what-christian-women-should-teach-girls-about-true-womanhood.html

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