You've Come a Long Way Baby

The following words are from Mary Kassian's message on feminism at the True Woman Conference '08. Will you take about 45 mins and listen to her complete message? It will challenge you and open your eyes to what has happened to God's original design for us as women. Do you desire to know what true womanhood looks like? Get a cup of tea (or coffee) and sit down to see the "ideals" of feminism unfolded. "You've come a long way baby..." Too bad is is a long way from God. Click here to listen: http://www.truewoman.com/?id=341

What's the answer to the question feminism posed almost 50 years ago? It was a spiritual question, the whole question of, “Well, what's going to bring women happiness and fulfillment and joy in life?”

What He is concerned about is that we have hearts that say yes to Him and that love Him and that are willing to be crazy enough to say, “What He has made is beautiful,” and crazy enough to say, “Selfless living, sacrificial living, laying down my life in emulation of the Christ I love is worth it!”

The New Testament reiterates that there are basic differences between men and women that are to be honored as part of God's design. In 1 Corinthians 11:9 & 12, we are told that, “The man did not come from the woman, but the woman from the man. Neither was man created for woman but woman for man.” Furthermore, “The woman is not independent of man. Nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman came from man, so also man is born of woman, but everything comes from God.” Very unpopular to read these Scriptures nowadays, isn't it? Very unpopular.

But I am crazy enough to believe that God knew what He was doing, and what He was doing was good. Indeed, it was very good. Our identity as male and female is important. As John Piper says, “It speaks to the glory of God.” Who I am as a woman and who I am in relationship to my husband, how I relate should cause people to look and say, “Wow! I see Jesus.” (This is my favorite part of the message!)

Women, I believe that God's instructions for us in His Word are not only right, they are also good and pleasant and desirable. Our problem is, we come and try to present a whole list of do’s and don'ts. We don't capture women's heart for the beauty of the vision of what womanhood is all about, and it's our only hope for wholeness to understand that our whole purpose is to live for the glory of God!

Do you trust that God knew what He was doing? How are you living out His original design for you as a woman? I would love to hear how you are living for the glory of God, so please take a minute to share with us all~ Thank you! I pray that each of us finds a practical way to redefine our definition of wholeness this week.

For more information on Mary Kassian's ministry click here: http://www.marykassian.com/

No Wimpy Women Found Here!

First, please forgive me for not posting over the weekend. I was in Schaumburg, IL for the truewoman 08 conference, hosted by Nancy Leigh DeMoss' ministry Revive Our Hearts. WOW! Let me tell you God was at work! There were 6,000 women in attendance and it was packed full of annointed speakers, refreshing music and the cry of many women longing to see God move in their lives.

I will be posting several different special insights the Lord showed me over the three days~

To start, I would like to share something Pastor John Piper shared in his message on Friday night. He started his message by stating that, "Wimpy theology makes wimpy women!" Womanhood was not an afterthought of God in the process of creation. It was in His orginal design! So what does this tell us?

In Piper's words, "Do not settle for wimpy theology, it is beneath you!" Wimpy theology finds at it's core the idea of women-centeredness. Now ladies, how in the world are we to magnify God if we are centered on ourselves? Simple. We are not able to magnify God. Is that scary? YES!!

Piper stated, "True womanhood is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of God in ways it would not be displayed, if there were no womanhood." Yes, go ahead and read it again. It did say that we, as women, are called to display God's glory in a unique way. This is exciting to me! I know that as a mother and wife I have a high calling on my life, but to know that my womanhood alone is capable of displaying God's glory is humbling.

Now the obvious question is, "What does this kind of womanhood look like specifically?" When thinking about the purpose of her being in a wheelchair for 40 years, Joni Eareckson Tada sees God's divine hand at work every day of her life. What does she have to say about it?"This paralysis is my greatest mercy." Just sit a moment and soak in what she said. Does this sound like wimpy theology? Not even close. If she was a wimpy woman, she would have said that her paralysis was God's greatest injustice to her and her family. But, that is not even close to where her heart is. Why? Becasue she is close to her sovereign God and she trusts Him.

The other statement I loved from Piper's message is his challenge to us that we would, "Be done with small thoughts about God's design for womanhood." The world tells us through every possible avenue that womanhood is unecessary. We can have children on our own, climb the corporate ladder on our own, create our own happiness, be aggressive, in-control, successful and powerful. Why would we possibly want to settle for just being a wife and a mother? What a waste of a life, says the world.

What do we think? Do we fall prey to this thinking? I confess that I do sometimes wonder if I am doing enough. As if being about the purpose of serving my husband and helping him do what God has called him to do for His kingdom is not enough. The training of children in righteousness. Does that actually sound like a weekend project?

My role as a woman in my home as a helpmate and a mother, is profoundly valuable to God. He is trusting me in these roles to display His glory. Can anyone else do for my husband and children what I can do? No~ Can anyone do for my God what I can do? No~

What a beautiful picture to me. The sacrifice of myself as I wash and hang clothes, knead bread, teach my son to read, memorize scripture for training my children, type my husbands Sunday School notes, organize his numerous papers for study, get up before my body actually desires to be awake...what do these things do? They, with the attitude of serving God alone, display God's glory. Each of us is sacrificing daily for the needs of others. Do we see the sacrifice through the lens of displaying God's glory? We definitely should.

Where has God called you to display his glory? How are you doing? Oh I pray that each of us will find the joy in surrendering to the fullness of true womanhood. Answering the call to do that which displays God's glory in all I do with my life.

If you would like to hear John Piper's message in complete form, please check it out at http://www.truewoman.com Click on re-live True Woman 08 Conference. You can also access Joni Eareckson Tada's message at this same link.