The decision that daughter, Karen, and I made last November did not disappoint us.
With our entrance card in hand, we found ourselves last weekend, at a Living Proof Live gathering of 2,500 women at the local arena in Abbotsford.
The speaker, Beth Moore — a super-charged woman of faith with her heart for God, her depth of Bible Studies, and the obvious Presence of the Holy Spirit in her life — showed she has been truly gifted by God for her ministry to women.
Though her early life was characterized by sinful habits and devastation, it was dramatically transformed! Bible Study became, and still, is her pathway to understanding her life, in Christ and her purpose for existing on this planet.
Her full-time ministry for almost 30 years, has been one of encouraging women to rise up from habitual weakness and sin, into a daily, dynamic personal relationship with the God who loves, forgives and empowers His daughters.
She reminded us that we are women of honour and dignity because of “Christ in us.” Being weak-willed women attract “creeps of prey,” and benefits no one. She challenged us to challenge the enemy who would keep all women of faith merely weak and decorative. “Sexy is unsustainable as an identity,” she reminded us.
“It goes from just inappropriate as we age, to just plain pathetic. We need a replacement identity for sexy.”
Increasingly aware of my aging body, I could relate to that. She urged us to switch from being decorative as women to being mighty in Jesus, which looks beautiful on every woman. Substituting sexy as a female identity for savvy, which means— knowing when to speak up and when to clam up, with the wisdom and boldness to do just that.
Savvy is the new sexy for women of faith who want to fulfill God’s purposes for them.
Proverbs 31: 30 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Much of the news these days tell of various demonstrations by women who want their rights respected and their voices heard. Times have changed over the course of history. In Jesus’ time, women were not allowed to be witnesses in court. Yet the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus was Mary Magdalene — God’s choice as a witness in the court of human history!
Jesus had great respect for all women, as He showed by conversing with the looked-down-upon Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:4-26).
Men of God have always recognized women’s rights. Carrying on with her theme, Might in Christ Takes Grace and Grit, Moore reminded us that both grace and grit can help us get back up when times are hard and we occasionally fall.
Karen and I — sensing an increased call from God to become more intentional about sharing the hope of Jesus with a lost and dying world — were thrilled to join with Kathy Morales in her session on this very topic.
What an encourager, as she shared her own vibrant examples of naturally sharing her faith each day!
Morales is presently the women’s leader of the Canadian National Baptist Convention. We were pleased to renew our friendships of earlier days.
Women of faith, let’s live out our faith with grit —emboldened, walking with Jesus…one YES at a time!
“As you lose your life in me," Jesus said, “you will find it.” (Matthew 10: 39).
Lord, take the life of Your Word and put it in my bones.
Burn like holy fire in my bones.
Shake me up, so I can not go back to life the way I was. Raise me to a new life in You.
Take me to the throne.
Leave me there alone, to gaze upon Your glory.
— beulah
Aunt Beulah...Thanks for sharing this with us. So much power from these two women and from your shared experience. You have wrapped it up so well.
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