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Monday 27 May 2013

A Godly Women Should Have Faith

A Woman of Faith will not be Moved

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Many women dream about and hope for many things. A new house, less debt, a different job, the list is endless. Most women will continue to hold out, even for years, to see these kinds of things come to pass. For the Christian woman, however, there may be things that she's hoping for, involving even deeper matters of the heart. Perhaps she has been praying for a loved one to come to Christ. Or maybe she has been waiting for the right husband. She may even be praying for God to change a circumstance that she has no control over. All of these things require the important virtue of faith.

Faith is often misunderstood as being simply believing for something. But faith is much more potent than that. It is defined in the Word as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV) In other words, it is the unshakable, spiritual foundation upon which Christians build their hopes. It is the well from which springs the waters of answered prayers.

Hannah, in the book of 1 Samuel, had faith that she would have a son. She so believed it that she promised that her son would be given to the service of God. Mary had faith that God was going to fulfill His promise and bring forth the Messiah through her, even though she was an unwed virgin. There are many other examples of women in the Bible who held fast in their faith, regardless of the visible circumstances and obstacles.

Faith takes patience. Things hoped for do not always come immediately. Faith also takes trust, in a God who knows her every desire before she even speaks it. But most importantly, it takes knowledge of the promises in God's Word. The faith of a Christian woman is powerful. Even in her darkest hour, she can stand, knowing that God will fulfill His promises in her life. God promises strength for the faint of heart, mercy for the weak, forgiveness for the repentant, protection for the vulnerable. Because God is faithful, every Christian woman can rest knowing that she has put her faith in Someone who will never disappoint her.

Faith is what drives the heart that won't quit, even when the circumstances look bleak. Something inside of a woman of faith says that she's not going anywhere until God comes through. She will not be moved. No matter how she feels, no matter how things look on the outside. No matter what anyone says, no matter how long she has to wait. Faith is what plants her feet firmly on the promises of God.

A Virtuous Woman Is Modest

True Beauty of a Godly Woman

Many women today have lost sight of what true beauty is. There seems to be an unspoken rule that women are not worth being seen in public unless they are dressed to the gills, with overdone make-up and flashy clothing. There are those who dress in high heels and bangle earrings to go grocery shopping, and others who squeeze themselves into jeans and form-fitting tops to join the parade at the local mall. Even older women seemed to have fallen prey to the idea that their beauty is wrapped up in how they look.

Unfortunately, many women are obsessed with themselves, and they are often their own worst critic. They fret over their clothing size, and worry over their hair color or style. The fact is that they are never happy with the way they look, as they continue to fuel their vanity and their need for attention. This kind of behavior has even crept into the church, with the outward appearance having more of an influence than the heart of an individual. This is not the way God intended His children to live. It grieves God when they seek attention for themselves rather than pointing the attention to Him.

Both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter gave insightful wisdom in how women were to present themselves, which is still valid in today's church. According to the revelation given to them by God, women who professed to be followers of Christ were to act with humility and modesty, in both their conduct and their dress. Their beauty was not to be found only in fancy hair styles, expensive clothing, or excessive jewelry. Instead, their beauty was to be seen in the “hidden person,” or the person they are on the inside. (I Peter 3:4) In other words, if the beauty is only skin deep, there is no real lasting beauty to be found.

There is nothing wrong with a woman doing things to keep herself looking beautiful and well groomed. Frankly, God is not interested in the color of lipstick she wears, not does he care how many times she colors her hair in a year. But whatever she does is to be done in moderation so that her focus does not become imbalanced.

Proverbs 31:30 says that “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” The kind of beauty that lasts is the beauty that reflects an inward heart of submission, and a love for God and His people. As women grow older, the evidence of their age will begin to appear. This is a natural process, a result of the fall of mankind. But it is her wisdom, her gentleness, and her peaceful submission to God that will continue to make her attractive long after the physical beauty fades.

Becoming a Single Woman of Virtue

"Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." Proverbs 14:1

  1. Is there anything about my speech, actions, dress, or attitudes that could defraud the men around me?
     
  2. Am I building up my “house”—home, work place, church,—(vs. tearing it down)?
     
  3. Am I taking in sensual thoughts and desires through books, magazines, TV programs,music, or movies that are not morally pure?
     
  4. Am I investing in the lives of those around me? Am I nurturing the heart of my siblings or others God has called me to bless?
     
  5. Am I looking to any man (pastor, counselor, colleague, etc.) to fill an emotional vacuum in my life? Do I go to a man rather than going to the Lord to meet my emotional needs?
     
  6. Am I cultivating a grateful, joyful spirit? Am I rejoicing in the Lord?
     
  7. Is there any behavior or relationship I am involved in that I am hiding? Am I engaged in anything now that I will not want my husband to know about if I marry in the future?
     
  8. Am I giving the best of my physical and emotional energy for the Lord?
     
  9. Am I discontent? Am I dwelling on thoughts that make me unable to find fulfillment through serving the Lord and those around me He has called me to serve?
     
  10. Am I cultivating a pleasant, gracious spirit in my words, actions, and attitudes that brings honor and glory to the Lord?
     
  11. Am I critical or judgmental? Do my parents have the freedom to be honest with me?
     
  12. Am I keeping my emotions, attention, and affection from every man to whom I am not engaged or married? Am I protecting the thoughts and feelings of my heart?
     
  13. Is my conversation ever loose, crude, or unbecoming for a woman of God?
     
  14. Am I discreet and restrained in the way I talk with men at work?
     
  15. Am I expressing admiration for a man that should more appropriately come from his wife? 
16. Do I communicate a meek, quiet, and submissive spirit?

17. Does my demeanor tend to be “loud and defiant”? Do I dominate or try to control the men around me? 
18. Does my dress help men to keep their thoughts pure and Christ-centered? Is my dress feminine and modest?
19. Am I a “door” or a “wall” (Song of Songs 8:9)? Am I a “loose” woman? Do I communicate to the men around me that I am “available”? Does my demeanor invite them to “partake” of intimate parts of my body, soul, or spirit? Do I engage in flirtatious speech, looks, or behavior?
20. Have I purposed in my heart to be morally pure?
21. Am I currently in a situation that is (or could become) compromising?
22. Do I reserve intimate communication, looks, words, and touch for my future husband (if I marry)?
23. Have I become a “refuge” for a man who may be struggling in his marriage?
24. Have I surrendered my sexual desires in honor of the Lord, my future husband, and the marriages or future marriages of those around me? Am I walking in holiness and honor?
25. Do I esteem and value any man more than the Lord? Do I love any man more than I love the Lord? Who comes first in my estimation?
26. Would those who know me best say that I am a woman of moral virtue and purity?
27. Am I in a situation that could appear to others to be compromising?
28. Am I making myself accountable to another godly woman for my walk with God and others?
29. Do I treat men with respect by keeping a proper distance from them, emotionally and physically?
30. Have I erected (and am I maintaining) adequate “hedges” in my relationships with men? Have I defined what those hedges are?

    “Lord, I acknowledge and renounce my sinful involvement in _______________ and pray in the name and through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that you would break this stronghold in my life. I realize, Lord, this sin has been a detrimental influence in my life [and marriage]. Lord, I humbly ask that You would forgive me and wash me in the blood of Christ, cleansing me from this sin. I ask you, Lord Jesus to take back the ground given to the enemy through my involvement and I yield that ground to Your control. I purpose to honor You in my heart, practicing purity and discretion in all of my relationships.” 

© discovery-hope.blogspot.com, 2013