Aiming for Godly Growth in 2018

Dear Friends,

There is much busyness in the life of today's women, but if you are a Christian, you will have a desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Here are some recently written articles by other authors I think you'll find valuable. I pray you'll make time to read and reflect upon the godly advice and wisdom shared in each one.

The first article is On Being a Christian Woman in the Year of Our Lord, 2018 written by Abigail Dodds and posted at her blog Hope and Stay.

Abigail writes about the hunger of Christian women for sound teaching in today's churches, which is right and good, but also warns of some pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Here are some valuable excerpts from her article:

Here’s my summary: Biblically-conservative Christian women are eager to have visible, biblically-conservative leadership by women in their churches and eager to learn from gifted, female Bible teachers whether locally or nationally. Secondly, women with the gift of teaching in conservative churches have felt underutilized/devalued and are carrying some angst, even as things may change for the better. (The accuracy of these points will vary greatly depending on your local context, but I’m speaking generally). ...

... But there’s another side to it: we must teach the women to act like Christian women, not door busters. We must teach them that the Christian life is not one of getting our way or forcing our plans or barging in––it’s one of dying daily, humble waiting, prayerful dependence, and unseen service where our right hand is ignorant of our left. That breaking the doors down would be the path toward anything but misery seems obvious enough––which doors are enough, when does it end? ...

...What if Christian women in 2018 decided that in all things we would set an example in our godly and gracious speech, our exemplary conduct, our loving actions, our bold faith, and our complete purity? What if we stopped trying to exalt our voices and “be heard,” but gloried in exalting Christ (Matt. 23:11–12)? What if we stopped seeking a seat of honor, but resolved to eat even the crumbs from the Lord’s table (Matt. 15:27)? What if we really trusted God––that God sees us, God loves us, Christ came for us, and the Spirit’s working in us, whether others see it or not? What if we really lived like it was the year of our Lord, not the year of the evangelical woman?

I agree - what would it be like if "we really lived like it was the year of our Lord, not the year of the evangelical woman?" Let's not lose focus, ladies. It isn't about us, it's about Him. Please read all of Abigail's article here.

Another good article for Christian women is They are our children, after all written by Kim Shay at the blog Out of the Ordinary. Kim gives very good advice for parents, and as the mother of two grown sons, I found this excerpt particularly helpful:

Be Discreet
Be careful when you share details of your child's struggle; the fewer details the better. Respect your child's privacy. Find one or two people you trust and who can keep a confidence. Ask people to pray without giving details. We don't always need to know the details. I think it goes without saying that social media is not a place to hash out your struggle with your child.

May the good Lord forgive me for sharing too much about my loved ones through social media and at church gatherings such as Bible studies, women's fellowship meetings and prayer meetings.  I'm reminded of what Scripture says regarding discretion:

Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion.- Prov. 11:22 (ESV)

Please be blessed and read Kim Shay's article in its entirety here.

Lastly, here is a good article regarding godly women from a godly man's perspective:  Bad Examples of Women Pastors (But Great Examples of Godly Women).

...A submissive woman is a strong woman. When anyone, man or woman, tries to put themselves in a place God has not given to them to serve, that is not strength. It's prideful, self-serving, and rebellious. - Pastor Gabriel Hughes

Pastor Hughes uses Scripture to explain the proper function and roles of women in the church from a Biblical viewpoint, and he does this in a gracious, loving manner. He then examines specific women found in Scripture and the godly contributions they made (and are still making by their testimonies!). I think you'll find much encouragement in his article.

So, dear friends, both male and female, I pray we'll aspire for more godly growth in 2018 as we serve our great King and Lord, Jesus Christ, amen.

I hope you find these resources helpful. Thank you and may the good Lord bless you in 2018.