Woman, ARISE!

We live in a time where the question, "Who is a woman?" no longer seems to have an outright answer. What the Bible has clearly shown to be attributable to womanhood is now challenged and, in many places, dismissed as archaic and oppressive. Conversations around womanhood are surrounded by a "But did God really say?" rhetoric that has attempted to strip away God's purpose and agenda for the woman.

The world portrays modern womanhood as involving 'taking back power' and subliminally emasculating the man so that the woman can truly lead. But the Word tells us in Philippians 2:3 NKJV, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." We are also told in 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 NKJV, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." This means that, even in the pursuit of social justice and women's empowerment, the motive should be driven by love and God's truth and interests. Both are often absent in debates involving womanhood now.

The world tells us that the art of femininity lies in your ability to seduce and manipulate a man to do what you want. Jealousy and competition have also defined women, saying that women cannot promote the success of other women. But the Word tells us that love does not insist on its own way (1 Corinthians 13:5). That we can communicate our desires, pursue growth and still maintain purity in how we engage with men and fellow women.

Women are told that they can do whatever they want with their bodies, including removing what God made through gender reassignments, indiscriminate sexual activity, disregard for a healthy lifestyle, encouraging abortion and so on. But God tells us that we have been bought at a high price, which is, at the cost of the blood of Jesus. We are therefore not our own, and we ought to honour God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20).

This is not how things were meant to be. We are called to glean from women in the Bible like Priscilla, who served Jesus faithfully by supporting His disciples after His death and worked alongside her husband Aquilla to raise more Christians in their time. Her collaboration with her spouse did not diminish her value; it multiplied the impact in God's kingdom. Look at Deborah, who rose at a time when Israel was under oppression. She led with boldness and strength, but not as a one-woman army. She led under God's command and partnered with Barak to attain victory. Esther was a young woman who understood that if God walks with you, you are the majority party. As she called for spiritual backup through prayer and fasting, she boldly made a request that changed the trajectory of Israel's history. Consider Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna and the many other women who served Jesus wholeheartedly, even with their resources. As they served, they advanced the spread of the Gospel and Jesus' impact. None of these women lost their worth by submitting, serving, living in purity or being bold. As they led with God's perspective first, they lived out their womanhood biblically. This is exactly what God wants us to do.

God's agenda for the woman goes beyond cliché phrases and popularised power plays. It moves beyond the woman herself. He desires generations to know Him and glorify Him. For instance, through childbearing and raising, God places a heavy privilege on the woman to co-labour with Him to raise nations for Him. Consider Genesis 17:15-16 NKJV: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Whether or not you have borne a child, God desires that the woman play a role in ensuring that children and future generations bring glory to His name.

We have been made to shift systems and call for His Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. Through intercession and God-given wisdom, God desires that the woman be part of heaven's impact on earth. Remember Abigail in 1 Samuel 25, who, through wisdom, sought mercy for her husband from David and called him into righteousness before God and man, and even spoke into his future. She reminded David of God's perspective and, through her mediation, helped preserve the purity of Israel's next king, whose kingdom would be everlasting.

We were made to be more than pretty faces with well-sculpted frames. 1 Peter 3:3-4 reminds us, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. The quiet spirit that sits still before the Lord and does not seek revenge or selfish motives. The quiet spirit that trusts the leading of the Lord in every instance. The quiet spirit that seeks God's will above human desires. The pure spirit that seeks the Lord in spirit and truth. This is who God has called us to be. Somewhere along the line, we have taken in the lies that have been fed to us that we need to fit into a certain mould to be accepted, and we refuse to take space the godly way. We have somehow believed that playing small suits us well, so that we are feminine enough. We have taken in the lie that erasing men from life's equation rightfully secures feminine power and authority. What deception!

Sis, refuse to conform to worldly standards and push toward God's standard for womanhood!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

Choose today to tear down the lies you have believed about womanhood with God's Word. Contend for biblical womanhood that places God's demands first and pursues His delight more than societal acceptance.

Woman of God, you are needed for a time such as this. So, ARISE!

With Love,

Jackie Ngigi.