If we say to Christian women that their worth and identity is in their pursuit of purpose and destiny and reaching for their dreams, the more we will see depression, anger, bitterness, hopelessness, and even suicide numbers rise among Christian women.
Suppose a Christian woman’s worth and identity are in their pursuit of purpose and destiny and reaching for their dreams. In that case, the Christian woman is no different from a non-Christian woman since a non-Christian woman says, “I am my purpose, destiny and dreams”.
Most Christian women are told to dress and makeup, improve their speaking skills, read books on business, go to school, apply for promotion, improve their credit score, better their career prospects by networking with high-net-worth women, exercise and eat gluten-free foods, etc. When they do these things, they will find their purpose and destiny and reach for their dreams. This means then Christian women are no different from non-Christian women since non-Christian women go for the same things.
By the way, Proverbs 31 is not a profile for the Christian women.
Christian woman, Proverbs 31 was written to show you up – to show you the perfection of the law and that you fall short of its demands because you are a sinner. Proverbs 31 was written to act as a mirror that shows you your imperfections.
Any Christian woman who attempts to live up to the Proverbs 31 profile will fall flat on her face.
When God created woman and gave her work to do, he did not say to woman, “Here is your work, this is who you are”. Instead, the Bible says, God created male and female in his image and then gave them work. To woman, God made her a helper (Ezer in Hebrew). Here we see identity preceded function.
The danger of pushing the narrative of “pursuit of purpose and destiny and reaching for their dreams” produces two types of women. One type becomes proud and self-righteous. The other type is riddled with guilt and condemnation. When the former cannot pursue purpose and destiny and reach for her dreams, she slides into guilt and condemnation. The latter, when she can pursue purpose and destiny and reach for her dreams, gets puffed up with pride. Do you notice the pieces of the shifting puzzle?
The Christian woman has to hear something different – That their worth and identity is found in what Jesus has done for them – the gospel of grace. Something more significant than the pursuit of purpose and destiny and reaching for her dreams.
The Christian woman has to hear something different – That their worth and identity is found in what Jesus has done for them – the gospel of grace. Something more significant than the pursuit of purpose and destiny and reaching for her dreams.
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The beautiful thing about what Jesus has done is that it is not affected by a temporary setback or even an inability to pursue purpose and destiny and reach for her dreams. It is solid, anchored and unmovable. When Christian women repeatedly hear what Jesus has done for them, it does amazing things in them.
For one, they develop the courage, fortitude to withstand tough times.
Second, it opens up the tap of creativity. Guilt and condemnation are the blockers of creativity and ingenuity in Christian women. When Christian women receive grace and the guilt and condemnation melt away like butter on a hot pan, ideas start bubbling to the surface. When a Christian woman thought she could only do this or that, she starts becoming creative. She thinks outside the box. She sees possibilities.
Hey Christian woman, be encouraged. You are not your purpose, destiny and dreams. You are a beloved daughter of the most high God. Rest in that identity. Rest in what Jesus has done for you.
That’s what grace looks like.
SCHULTER ETYANG 