the value of a woman
There are a number of things that I get very passionate about. Most of the time I'm a pretty laid back person. It's difficult to get me really worked up about something, unless you know the things I'm passionate about and then all it takes is a word to set me off. Most of the time I'm just simmering below the surface, but when something comes up that hits me in that spot, watch out.
One of those things is value, and more specifically women and where they find their value. This applies to both men and women, but as I am a woman and feel called to minister to women, I tend to get more worked up about women finding their identity and value in God. In fact, I think that if more women were secure in who they are before God we would actually see a change in the men as well.
John Adams once said: "From all that I had read of History of Government, of human life and manners, I had drawn this Conclusion, that the manners of Women were the most infallible Barometer, to ascertain the degree of Morality and Virtue in a Nation."
If the women are understanding who they are and how they should conduct themselves because of who they are, it will change a society. I think part of the reason I am so passionate about this is because I didn't understand it for many years. I mean I knew that God loved me, but I didn't understand that He valued me.
I read somewhere (I honestly can't remember where) that value is placed on a piece of artwork by the one who purchases it. If you spend any time researching art work, you will realize that it sells for ridiculous amounts of money in the the millions and hundreds of millions of dollars. And that is the value of those pieces of art because that is what someone has paid for them.
How much more valuable are you than a piece of art!? You were molded and sculpted by the very hand of God, the Creator of the whole universe. You were declared to be good by the One who Created you. He doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't mess up. His work is perfect, whole and complete.
If that isn't enough that the One who created you sees you as valuable just because He made you, then consider the price He paid for you. We humans messed up. We made a mistake. We sinned. Yet, that does not affect the value that God places upon us because He Himself paid the price to redeem us. And the price was high, very high, higher than we will ever know because we will never have to go through what Jesus did.
When I came to understand not just with my mind, but with my heart that God values me so much He would be willing to go through the suffering and death and pain that I deserve, that is when I began to understand that I have value. It doesn't stop there because I realized that that value is not just placed upon me, but it is placed upon every individual person.
When we begin to realize our value, it changes things. I value myself because I realize that God values me. I am able to value others because I value myself and understand that God values others the same way He values me. I stand up for myself when I am being mistreated because I am a valuable person. I stand up for others when I see injustice because I know their value.
The manners of women determine the quality of a society. What if women started to understand their value? What if we stopped doing what culture says makes us valuable and started to live as if our value was determined not by how we look or by whether or not we have a boyfriend/fiancee/husband? What if we stopped judging ourselves against each other? What if we stopped finding our value in the perfect job or career, the perfect house, car, or man, our version of the American Dream?
What if instead we found our value in the One who Created us? What if we found our value in who He has made and crafted us to be? What if we found our value in the price He paid to set us free, the precious blood of Jesus? How would our society look then if we really understood our value?
One of those things is value, and more specifically women and where they find their value. This applies to both men and women, but as I am a woman and feel called to minister to women, I tend to get more worked up about women finding their identity and value in God. In fact, I think that if more women were secure in who they are before God we would actually see a change in the men as well.
John Adams once said: "From all that I had read of History of Government, of human life and manners, I had drawn this Conclusion, that the manners of Women were the most infallible Barometer, to ascertain the degree of Morality and Virtue in a Nation."
If the women are understanding who they are and how they should conduct themselves because of who they are, it will change a society. I think part of the reason I am so passionate about this is because I didn't understand it for many years. I mean I knew that God loved me, but I didn't understand that He valued me.
I read somewhere (I honestly can't remember where) that value is placed on a piece of artwork by the one who purchases it. If you spend any time researching art work, you will realize that it sells for ridiculous amounts of money in the the millions and hundreds of millions of dollars. And that is the value of those pieces of art because that is what someone has paid for them.
How much more valuable are you than a piece of art!? You were molded and sculpted by the very hand of God, the Creator of the whole universe. You were declared to be good by the One who Created you. He doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't mess up. His work is perfect, whole and complete.
If that isn't enough that the One who created you sees you as valuable just because He made you, then consider the price He paid for you. We humans messed up. We made a mistake. We sinned. Yet, that does not affect the value that God places upon us because He Himself paid the price to redeem us. And the price was high, very high, higher than we will ever know because we will never have to go through what Jesus did.
When I came to understand not just with my mind, but with my heart that God values me so much He would be willing to go through the suffering and death and pain that I deserve, that is when I began to understand that I have value. It doesn't stop there because I realized that that value is not just placed upon me, but it is placed upon every individual person.
When we begin to realize our value, it changes things. I value myself because I realize that God values me. I am able to value others because I value myself and understand that God values others the same way He values me. I stand up for myself when I am being mistreated because I am a valuable person. I stand up for others when I see injustice because I know their value.
The manners of women determine the quality of a society. What if women started to understand their value? What if we stopped doing what culture says makes us valuable and started to live as if our value was determined not by how we look or by whether or not we have a boyfriend/fiancee/husband? What if we stopped judging ourselves against each other? What if we stopped finding our value in the perfect job or career, the perfect house, car, or man, our version of the American Dream?
What if instead we found our value in the One who Created us? What if we found our value in who He has made and crafted us to be? What if we found our value in the price He paid to set us free, the precious blood of Jesus? How would our society look then if we really understood our value?
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