Ladies, do you ever get tired of the way that women are depicted in modern entertainment? If you watch a family sitcom, most women are seen as domineering, sarcastic, rude, and bossy. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with us making sure that our needs and wants are known, the way that we are portrayed in most TV shows and movie is anything but positive. Instead of looking like the loving, nurturing, supportive people that we are called to be, we often get painted as toxic, angry caricatures. What’s even more important is the fact that this popular version of women isn’t what God wants us to be.
Make no mistake about it, there is nothing wrong with being a strong-willed woman. The Bible is filled with women who were strong, powerful, and knew what they needed to do. You don’t have to look very far into the Old Testament to find a woman named Ruth who knew what she needed to do, and made things happen. Esther, another Old Testament heroine was fiercely loyal, but was also a force to be reckoned with. When we get into the New Testament, we find a young Mary who was willing to let people talk about her so she could experience the honor of being the mother of Christ. Timothy’s mother and grandmother are both praised for their insistence on raising Timothy in a God-fearing household even though his father wasn’t a believer.
Being a Godly woman doesn’t mean that you simply put your head down and live a life of subservience. Instead, a Kingdom woman is a woman who knows how to apply the Scriptures to her own life so she can more effectively love God, love others, and even love herself. If you are looking for a way to make sure that you are truly living the life of a Kingdom woman, discover how to make that a reality today.
A Kingdom Woman is a Helper
Genesis 2:18 (ESV)
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
When you read the creation account in Genesis, you will notice that God labeled everything that He had made as “good.” The sun and moon were good. The animals of the field were good. The waters were good. However, when God saw that Adam was living a life of solitude in the Garden of Eden, God declared that it was not good that he was there alone. With that in mind, He made Eve.
Eve gets a lot of blame for the way that she handled the interaction with the serpent, as well she should. If she had trusted God’s Word and refused to listen to Satan, she would not have fallen prey to sin. However, it’s important that we don’t let Eve’s flaw detract from the fact that God put her in the garden because He knew that women brought something to the table that Adam needed: help.
Being a Kingdom woman involves showing a willingness to help and support others. Obviously, if you are married, your primary position of help involves supporting your husband. This doesn’t mean that you support him if he is making bad, ungodly decisions. However, it does mean that you are his soft place to land, and a constant source of encouragement. If you have children, you are most certainly called to be a helper to your children. However, even if you aren’t in a stage of life where you have a family that needs your help, your role as a helper is still important. Your friends and other relatives need you to be supportive.
Being supportive doesn’t equate with being subservient. Instead, this trait of a Kingdom woman speaks to the fact that we, as females, have a certain nurturing tendency. Look for ways to help others. Not only is it the mark of a Kingdom woman but helping is one of the Gifts of the Spirit discussed in the New Testament.
A Kingdom Woman Gives Life
Genesis 3:20-21 (ESV)
The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin and clothed them.
This interaction took place after Adam and Eve sinned. It wasn’t until they had fallen that Eve received her name, which meant that she was to be a mother of all the living. This aspect of Kingdom womanhood speaks to us in two ways. First of all, it means that God does not give up on us when we don’t get things right. Secondly, it means that we, as women, are called to be a giver of life.
Now, the term “giver of life” doesn’t just speak to biological motherhood. Obviously, as women, we are the vessels that bring new life into the world. However, being a giver of life includes every other area of life.
For instance, in Proverbs 18:21, Solomon wrote that the power of life and death is in the tongue. That means that the words that we speak can give life or they can take life. How do you use your words? Do you use your words to tear others down? Even if you’re not talking to people, do you spend a lot of time talking about them? If so, you’re not fulfilling your role as a giver of life.
Take a moment and carefully evaluate your relationships. Are your relationships full of life, or are they barely hanging on? Do you have a trail of friendships and other relationships in your past that have been severely damaged through your own words and actions? If so, bring life to those relationships by reaching out and apologizing.
As a Kingdom woman, you are called to give life, and that goes far beyond labor and delivery. Embrace your role as a life giver by changing the way that you interact with others.
A Kingdom Woman Loves God and Serves Others
Proverbs 31:25-27 (ESV)
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Finally, a Kingdom woman is a woman who loves God so much that if influences the way that she treats others, especially those in her household. Proverbs 31 is widely considered the chapter that outlines what a Godly woman is supposed to look like. While we don’t have the time or space to study the entire chapter here, we can look at this passage to find a lot of powerful truth.
When you truly love God and are completely faithful to Him, you are capable of laughing at the things to come. You are not filled with fear. Instead, your faith allows you to realize that God is working in you and through you to improve the lives of everyone around you.
Being a servant of others isn’t about being in a lower position. Jesus set the example of servant leadership. He wasn’t beneath anyone on the night that He washed the disciples’ feet. However, He knew that his role of power included the willingness to humble Himself so He could serve others. We should look for ways to do the same.
Loving God and loving others aren’t only at the heart of true discipleship. Those ideas are at the very heart of being a Kingdom woman.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to be a better helper to the people in my life. Help me to use my words and actions to bring life into every aspect of my existence. Most of all, help me to serve others in Your name. In Christ’s name, Amen.