To start from part one, click here.
Halfway through Beth Moore’s book, So Long, Insecurity, You’ve Been a Bad Friend to Us, her words stopped me right in the middle of the page. She’s talking about the Proverbs 31 woman and says…
You’ve probably more commonly heard her called “the virtuous woman” or “the woman of noble character.” I wholeheartedly want to be a virtuous woman and possess noble character, but in reality, the Hebrew term is most often used to convey valor.
In fact, the same word is translated “mighty” in God’s reference to Gideon in Judges 6:12: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
The first synonym on the list for valor is courage.
When I read that, I almost cried with joy.
But then I wondered, what about the other verse we typically hear spoken to women?
Clothe yourselves with the unfading beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gently and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:4
How does that relate to courage? After all, “gentle and quiet” often seems to get interpreted by the church as more along the lines of being timid and insecure.
So I kept reading and sure enough, it’s right there a few verses below…
Do what is right without fear (v. 6)
It’s not about temperament; it’s about trust (v. 5). It’s not about calm; it’s about confidence in God. We can face a storm, fight a battle, or speak boldly all with a gentle and quiet spirit. As David, a mighty king and fierce warrior said…
I have stilled and quieted my soul. Psalm 131:2
No wonder the enemy tries to make insecurity look godly.
If we fully grasped our identity, we’d be unstoppable.
Let’s get out there and be courageous, girls.
The Lord is with us, mighty women of valor.
* When I planned this series, I didn’t know about Beth Moore’s new book, So Long, Insecurity, You’ve Been A Bad Friend to Us. Everything she does is excellent and I highly recommend it as well as her blog!
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TODAY’S QUESTION: What were you told about being a “good Christian girl”? Is it true?
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