I haven't posted in a while and for that, I don't apologize. Wow, harsh, Hope. Hehe! But God has been hard at work in my heart. He's breaking me down, again, and for that I am thankful. I know that when He is breaking me down, it's only temporary. He's molding me. He's changing me into a better woman. I don't put pen to paper until God is ready for that to take place. He leads everything I study and everything I write. Otherwise, my blog would be absolutely useless. I've been on a journey to become God's ideal daughter, and, goodness, how hard it has seemed. So, I've turned to His word in order to find out what God expects out of me as a Christian and as a woman.
This post is not just for girls. Let me just throw that out there. Men, boys, guys, gentlemen, you should be aware of these things, as well. Reading this may actually be more beneficial to you than to girls.
So, boys, I ask you: How do you pick out a Christian girl from the crowd? Girls, I ask you: How do you know that you are truly in the image that God has designed you to be in? What about our lives shouts God’s name without us even saying anything? Let’s take a moment to forget our opinions on what makes a girl beautiful, and simply ask God.
God, here I am. I seek you. Show me what a Godly woman looks like. You created everything. Who knows beauty better than the One who created it?
Again, let’s forget our opinions on what beauty is. Those don’t matter. The traits that I’ve compiled in this post aren’t based on my opinions in any way. I won’t post things to the best of my ability that aren’t based on Scripture and prayer.
The Bible tells us that true, Christian girls are hard to come by, but those girls who are Godly are more precious than riches. Don’t you think that God meant it when He said that?
"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies." – Proverbs 31:10 (NLT)
We even see the question posed here: Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? It must be hard to find one because we see that it goes on to say: She is worth more than precious rubies. Do you see that word virtuous? Virtuous is defined as: morally excellent, righteous, powerful, effective, fruitful, and potent. Whew. Those are serious. So, who can find a morally excellent, righteous, powerful, effective, fruitful, and potent wife? Who can be that wife?
We’ve all concocted these ideas in our heads of what makes someone beautiful or not. Men have preconceived opinions about what makes girls worthy to date or not, and I think that women have based their opinions around the thoughts of men. I think we need to stop here. We need to take a step back from our worldly views of women and learn to recognize the traits of a Godly girl that God has told us about.
-- A Godly Woman Personally Knows God.
This may seem obvious, but there’s a difference between saying that you know God and actually knowing Him on a personal level. There’s a difference in knowing about God and knowing God. You can’t fool Him. He knows where your heart really stands. A woman, who knows Him personally, craves Him more and more every day. A woman, who knows Him, knows His Word. She strives to study Scripture day in and day out like the pages are disappearing. She’s, also, faithful in whole-hearted prayer because she runs to Him for everything.
"Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path." – Psalm 119:104-105
-- A Godly Woman Knows and Fulfills Her Purpose on Earth.
It’s easy for Christians to grasp their purpose mentally, but they have a hard time actually fulfilling it. Let me assure you, your purpose is not simple. It’s not a purpose that anybody else can fill if you don’t come through. Jesus made it clear to us with what we are here to do. It was the last thing He told us before He ascended to the Father.
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…" – Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
-- A Godly Woman is Bold about Jesus.
Some people confuse the word "bold" with being pushy, intimidating, mean, or tough. That’s not what bold is. Being bold means being fearless. A Godly woman is fearless about sharing Jesus. She knows that she may be the only Jesus that some people ever see. She knows that there are people all around that still remain in the dark about who Christ is and she’s going to do whatever it takes to make Him known. She, also, knows that talking about Jesus will bring hardships. She understands that when she stands up to be heard, Satan will do anything to knock her down. Anything. Satan doesn't want you to stand up. He'll use anything and anybody to make you want to sit down and shut up.
"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you." – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)
-- A Godly Woman is Not Materialistic.
Yuck. That one’s a struggle for us, girls, but God meant it when He said it, girlfriend. We live in a world that is engulfed in having "better stuff". Don’t even get me started on this. Especially us, girls. Let’s take some ownership. We want the cutest clothes, the cutest stuff, the cutest hair, the cutest house, the cutest everything. You know why? We’re materialistic. I’m pleading, begging, prayerfully seeking that God will change this in my own heart. I’ve seen too much poverty in the world to continue to live so lavishly.
Guys, outward beauty is something that is deceiving. When her beauty fades with age, what will you have left? Look at her heart. Look at how she loves. Attraction is important, yes, but keep in mind that her smooth skin will one day wrinkle. Her colorful locks will one day turn into a crown of silver. And her young body will change with the years that pass by. Not to mention, you will change, too. Your hair will fall from your head to your back. Your wife's good cooking will cause a little "protrusion" from your gut. But if you've fallen in love the right way, God's way, none of that will matter. You'll love each other's spirits which is something that will last beyond the grave.
"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." – 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)
-- A Godly Woman is Not Contentious.
That’s a new word to me. Someone who is contentious is someone who is likely to cause disagreements or arguments. Women of God don’t care about arguing with people. It’s a thing of the past. She displays love to all people. She’s kind, gentle, selfless, and relational. She understands that arguments are derived from anger and anger ruins a heart. She forgives. She knows that Jesus has forgiven her, and she can’t hold that back from anyone else. She is a beacon of the fruits of the Spirit.
"It is better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a contentious wife in a lovely home." – Proverbs 21:9 (NLT)
"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
-- A Godly Woman Shows Faith through Actions, But Does Not Brag.
She knows that her faith is useless without actions. She knows that good works are a result of faith, but the key to a truly wise and Godly woman is this: you’ll never catch her bragging on anything she’s done. She knows that bragging is a result of selfishness, but a woman who does good works because she is called by her faith is a Godly girl. The second that someone boasts about their "good deeds", it completely counteracts what they’ve done. They’ve turned it into a "Hey, look at me. Look at what I did!" instead of saying, "Wow, God. You always provide. You get all the credit." It’s become love of self, not love of God. A Godly woman makes good deeds a result of loving God and taking absolutely no credit for it.
"And if you don’t brag about the good you do, then you will truly be wise!" – James 3:13b (NLT)
-- A Godly Woman is Modest.
Oh, let’s don’t go here… Modest? I’m not about to dress like someone from the 1800s. Forget this one, God. Modesty is a thing of the past. Girls, God meant it when He said it. Being modest doesn’t mean you have to look homely. God demands modesty because, listen here: it helps you. Imagine that, God did something to help you. It keeps things to the imagination. Keep this in mind when you get ready in the morning: If you put on an article of clothing and think to yourself, "THIS will get his attention," maybe you should rethink your motives for picking out that outfit. Be classy. Be timeless.
"And I want women to be modest in their appearance…" – 1 Timothy 2:9 (NLT)
"She is clothed with strength and dignity…" – Proverbs 31:25 (NLT)
-- A Godly Woman is a Face of the 31st Chapter of Proverbs.
If you have a chance to stop and read Proverbs 31:10-31, do so now. What a powerful vision of a woman. At the end of the chapter, it tells us that when this woman is found, her husband will say, "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" (Proverbs 31:29)
Let me leave you with the very last two verses of Proverbs 31.
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." – Proverbs 31:30-31 (NLT)
How beautiful are those ancient words? And, sister, don’t you know that God meant them when He said them. Rather than looking at this list as a measuring stick to criticize ourselves, view this list as a tool that God is using to mold us into His ideal daughters. It’s not unattainable, and it’s a beautiful journey. Dive into His word and let Him work on you.
I hope that we can go through this spiritual journey together as sisters-in-Christ, hand-in-hand, one task at a time like one big line of head-strong, God-fearing, beautiful women who are plowing over Satan's hopes and dreams. Isn't that a powerful vision? Girlfriend, I don't want it to just be a vision anymore. We, as Christian girls and women, need to rethink this world around us. We need to rethink how we portray ourselves, how we speak, how we treat men, how we allow men to treat us, how we live. Let's get to that place where we are set-apart. I'm tired of being a "worldly" girl. Aren't you?
I want us to really dig deep into our hearts and allow change only from God. I want us to place a mirror in front of our hearts, in front our souls, and scrape the layers of stinky, worldly gunk off of them. At times, it will hurt... a lot. I hope and pray that God will renew our purity and innocence, but let's do it together. Let's hold hands as we scrape the junk away from our lives. I pray for you every day. I know this life as a Christian woman is not easy by any means, but my goodness, it is worth every second. If you bear with me, and allow God to make changes in you, you will never be the same again. You will never want your old life back. Join me on this journey.
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