Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Women's Day (Part 1)

There will come a time where the females in the church will pronounce a special day dedicated to the women
who do so much in the ministry. There might be a dinner, luncheon, or a tea  honoring the first lady and some of the other female ministers. When all is said and done and it is time for the speaker to get up and minister the Word, the common place to go is Proverbs 31 where the virtuous woman can be looked at from a different perspective or the same things will be reiterated. Esther is another favorite, where the speaker will use how a woman can lose or keep her man depending where the emphasis is placed. Or maybe the book of Ruth where it will be taught how humble Ruth became to cling to her mother in law and be that support Naomi needed in her time of grief. How do I know this? Its been done over and over again. What keeps women from attending these functions is the loyalty of being members of that ministry and showing off the new clothes purchased for the event.

Is this an insensitive way to put it? Maybe, still my hope is that it is remembered for change to take place. We cannot keep maneuvering in such a way and not do as God has been telling us repeatedly. He calls us to watch and pray. He also tells us to walk in love in all that we do (Ephesians 5:1-3 AMP). And finally, we are to rightly divide the Word so that we will never be directed on a path of error (2 Timothy 2:15 AMP). So let's tackle this Women's Day with those topics that have been regurgitated for God's children to eat. It didn't come from the Lord's table and my aim is to prove it.

The Proverbs 31 woman, more commonly known as the Virtuous woman. I won't be using Webster's definition of virtue because it has changed as the years do. God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. So let's use what is indicative of Him - His Word. The woman was created for the soul purpose of being of assistance to man (Genesis 2:18 AMP). Now its out there on front. I have no idea why women don't make mention of that on Women's Day. Its danced around but never point blank. Well, there it is! No more identity crisis. You were created as a time such as this...to be of some assistance to a man. He doesn't necessarily have to be someone you are married to - but you are to be a help to some man. Now this doesn't mean that you are to do anything outside of righteousness. If he is tired of his wife or she doesn't understand him, this is not your place to be of assistance. Step back, send him to his wife or pastor. You are out of place trying to counsel a married man. There is no virtue in that, just ignorance and a means to be tempted.

In dispelling some of the myths that have been taught in the Proverbs 31 woman, we must understand the
example used of a woman who is a domestic engineer - a housewife. However, she is not cemented into her home, not able do other things. Notice that she gets up early to pray and study the Word...that's spiritual food. She also makes sure the house servants know what their duties are. This means she is of means where she can afford to have a house staff. See that she is away from the house conducting business with merchants (Proverbs 31:16 AMP). This means not only that she shops for her home but that she can have a business. Ministry has taught this passage with her being a house wife and that's all she can be. This is not true. All women have different passions in life. All men are not the same; therefore, women meeting the needs of a specific man, has a myriad of gifts. If the bible was to make examples of all of the things a woman can do, there would not be enough room for the rest of the books. What is written is an example. We must be able to see where the virtue is and what has been given in order to compare to know that it was right. This is rightly dividing the Word as it has been directed for us to do. We must be able to practically apply it in our lives.

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