I always feel badly for people who fast, and I’m like, “Don’t tell me you’re fasting because I’ll feel sorry for you all day long—or days long.”
And because life often takes more energy than I have, the last several years I’ve focused on keeping my physical energy by feeding my body. The amount of meals I eat just to keep energy has me telling sister that I wish we’d be neighbors so she could feed me (best cook ever!) and I could return the favor by cleaning her house.
So it took extra courage to start the year with a ten day fruit and vegetable fast. I struggled. I spent hours more on the couch. I watched “Alone”, which is a documentary on men surviving in my beloved Pacific Northwest with no food sources except what’s around them in the sea and forest.
I knew I wasn’t as hungry as they were, but it felt like it. Day after day, I’d do my work then crash on the couch as my body adjusted and my spirit became more and more clear.
I woke praying one day, asking God what He wanted to speak to me. What did I need to rid my life from?
He nailed it. In difficult conversations, I didn’t actively listen enough. Thus began a deeper journey into how to love people better.
I thought I was a good friend, a good listener—but I also knew that in stressful situations my heart would squeeze tight with stress and I tried to remedy that with words that I hoped would help and eliminate the stress of the conversation.
In doing so, I’d transfer something onto another person that didn’t feel like love or care—even when that’s exactly what I wanted to be or show.
Here’s the thing about real grace—it’s free, yet was bought with a price. And something that expensive, given to us freely, is made to change, renew, restore a person into something better.
The oxymoron of accepting an expensive gift while putting it on the shelf for a later date (heaven) should strike us hard. The gift of grace is meant to draw us to our knees in repentance, allowing the light of it to shine onto places that are yet dark in our lives.
I repented of not listening better, the other day. I apologized to a friend who was on my heart. And I walked toward people rather than away from them.
I’m not good with conflict, but God is good, and He came to change atmospheres. Active listening is the best way to show someone you love them, yet most of us are good at actively speaking our own thoughts rather than actively hearing another’s heart.
It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong–because sometimes being understood is far less vital than making sure another feels heard. First, just listen with your presence.
The awesome thing about Grace is this—when heaven sheds its light onto something you’ve failed in, it also sheds its awareness of how you could grow.
Every time the Spirit of Christ nails something in me, I’m aware of deep, deep Love reaching out to heal, restore, change, and bring me to better things.
I feel safe with God even when I know I’m not representing Him well, and He has to create grief in my soul over it. “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)
See this—there’s no grief in Godly sorrow because it leads us to things that will save us, and bring salvation to others.
Our post modern, humanistic culture teaches us that we are enough, and that we should love ourselves the way we are. Friends, I’m here to tell you something different. We are not enough, and sometimes we’re actually quite messed up.
And if you expect your people to be enough, you’ll be disappointed because they will fail you, hurt you, and be less than you need.
But when we understand grace we can’t carry the weight of humanity’s mess any longer. The cross still stands, and it still eradicates sin, and when you can care deeply about a person and be unable to carry offense, you know that Grace has indeed won in your soul.
Fasting made God’s voice clearer. Things I knew before, I now really knew.
I had to give myself the same grace I wanted to give others. Rather than say, “Man, Sara, that was really dumb”, I needed to say, “Lord, I failed. Thank you for loving me and forgiving me. Thank you for showing me a better way.”
I realized, as I accepted Grace, that I was unable to carry the weight of it. Christ set me free.
The goal is to be spiritually, socially, emotionally, and relationally mature. We work hard at it—and yet, we have those areas God shows us are not aligned to love. Here, we get to bow before the cross and allow Grace to seep into our bones and marrow, changing who we are and what we are.
We extend the same grace to others. Most people don’t want to be mean or ill spoken. Most are just humans making mistakes, often born out of their own pain. And when a person is truly cruel, God will deal with him in his own time and way.
In the end, the universe needs Grace—this unmerited favor thing, this free yet costly thing—this counter cultural, life changing, heaven embracing thing that will change us if we truly receive it.
To celebrate Grace, here’s a book—because all of life takes reminders of how to bring Grace into the rough places and allow it to change atmospheres.
Yesterday my sister and I put Christmas hats on miniature goats, then took them for a walk in the snow. Both of us were unashamedly delighted and couldn’t stop laughing.
It didn’t matter what others thought of us, or whether someone wondered how two grown women could be that silly. We were absolutely thrilled at walking our favorite pets through a snowy December town.
My sister’s pet goats didn’t just happen; she worked for them. From a small outdoor shed, hay and feed, to a fence in her small town yard, she ran after what brought her joy—and in the process, God used these pets to form community in her small town.
She even took the goats to public school where she taught school each day. I’d watched her study and work for years to get her masters in teaching. I’d wondered what man would be good enough for this sister of mine, and I even listened on the phone as she worried that she was merely running after what she wanted—and what if her now- husband wasn’t God’s will for her?
But nothing stood in the way. No red flags and no major faults—just another awesome, yet imperfect man before her giving her the choice to choose his love, or walk away. So I encouraged her to simply lean into the gift of this man since that is what she desired.
A few years later, the joy of that goat walk was multifaceted after both of us hearing a sermon at church that day on “surrender”. Her kind husband, dreamt-of job, cozy little home, and quirky little pets had all culminated in her surrender to God’s yes.
I want us to consider a side of surrender that is just as important as the side we usually hear about. In order to see God, embracing His yes is as vital as agreeing to His no.
Christians often elaborate on the need to deny self, but we can only deny sin with victory when we’re satisfied that God is good in all He does. And a big part of that is walking in all the good things He offers.
It is actually damaging to others when we only attribute suffering and denial to a good God. People can struggle for decades with surrender when all they ever hear is how important it is to agree with God’s no.
What about God’s yes? Isn’t it just as vital to agree to all aspects of God? If we don’t embrace the gifts of God, we enter a bleak, monk-like asceticism where we struggle to surrender to God.
Asceticism is not surrender; it is as ungodly as selfishness because it is not of God.
Surrender means loving God and being filled with God, after which we run after the gifts of God while simultaneously agreeing with God when He says no.
Anything not of God we refuse and every desire given by God we embrace.
Refusing the gifts of God is as harmful as refusing to surrender our desires to God.
Embrace both God’s no and His yes. Simply embrace God, then look to see what He’s created you to be, in a mortal body with an immortal spirit.
Did you know God created your body and soul as much as your spirit? That you are eternal, starting the moment you were conceived in the womb? That earth is a passage way to glory and everlasting bliss?
Even here, we are created in the image of God for the glory of God.
Sister, God created your mind, will, emotions, and body for His glory.
Your body is not sin, but it can sin.
Your emotions are not sin, but they can become sin.
Your will is not sin, but it can lead you to sin.
When you’re in tune with Jesus, He will give you desires in line with His will. What is burning on your heart? Could it be that understanding surrender is understanding that some of our desires are placed there by God, and the holiest, most surrendered thing we can do is lean into, run after, and embrace the longings placed there by Him?
He wants to accomplish good things, sisters. So it remains that a large part of surrender is not usually even mentioned by the church.
We are told to give up and surrender what we want, but we are not taught to lean into desires placed there by God, and run after them.
Follow hard after God.
Say yes when God says yes.
Say no when God says no.
Remember that when God says no, He’s leading you toward His best yes.
And just as much, remember that when God says yes, saying no to yourself will only lead you into bondage. Some of the worst bondage I’ve seen is from people who focus on the wrongs of the world rather than the rights of a good, good Father.
Asceticism is not surrender just as grabbing things selfishly is not surrender.
The only blessed, joyful, holy union with God is a whole hearted yes to His blessing and design for our humanity, and a whole hearted surrender to His no when He says no.
Our greatest longing is satisfied in union with God and His ways for the entirety of our body, soul, and spirit.
In this way, surrender becomes a joy rather than a teeth gritting sacrifice we can barely do. God becomes GOOD.
God is the safest, most blessed, most healthy option for you. Lean into Him! Enjoy everything He created you to enjoy and this will help you surrender things He asked you not to indulge in.
Surrender doesn’t necessarily mean we lose an opportunity, but it changes our posture in that blessing. We enjoy it even more when we see God in it. And we can’t enjoy it fully when God isn’t in it.
Remember that you won’t get an audible word from heaven for all decisions. Sometimes God places strong desires in our hearts and we dismiss them, attributing them to mere carnality that needs to be “laid down”.
I’m here to tell you that full surrender to God includes picking up blessings He’s giving to us.
Being satisfied in God happens in union with God. There, in His presence, we are free to inhale His blessings and empowered to resign things we know are not from Him. His yes will fill you with wonder and His no will lead you to internal, eternal worship.
Now that we have discussed a good foundation of dating and the whole landmine that “the one” can be, the next logical thing to discuss is looking for that special person you file joint taxes with for the rest of your life!
The most common phrase or word I hear in these types of almost treasure hunts for a significant other is using the term “my type”.
“Turns out they just were not my type.”
“He tots seems like your type guurrrrllll!”
“I can’t believe I am not their type!”
We have all heard these phrases before. What does it really mean though? Is it possible we can take a concepts too far much like the concept of finding “the one”?
Usually a type is referring to a set of qualities or features of a person we believe we want or are looking for. A sort of way to categorize someone to in theory, make it easier to find a suitable person to pursue a dating relationship with. Having a type, much like other things is a totally normal thing in concept but sometimes in execution we run into issues.
The list:
If you have been in any youth group or church for long enough and discussed dating, you have likely talked about your “list”. Honestly, the more I write the more it seems like another one of those “we need a Christian version” situations, where people didn’t want to use the term ‘type’ so we made up our own version.
Back on topic, I can remember learning about the infamous list. A list of all the things you want in a spouse, and because God wants what you want and wants to find your perfect soulmate, the person you meet will match every single one of the things you write down. Sounds incredible on the surface. And, I am sure there are stories of it working out for some.
The issue becomes what one puts on that list. Let’s create a couple hypothetical lists to show where this can be counterproductive.
Jimmy is a great guy. He is 25, super nice guy…though he has had a hard time really launching into adult hood. Still lives with his parents, has a part time job mainly because he has so many hobbies he needs to have time for. He is in mediocre shape and doesn’t really help out much around the house…Here is a snip it of his list.
-Blonde
-Hot
-In good shape
-Good cook
-Loves Jesus
-Good with finances
-Shorter than him (He is 5 foot 10)
-Administration gift (he is not good with keeping track of dates and appointments)
-Not argumentative (he argues with his parents a lot and it stresses him out)
-Possibly already has a kid or two (he really thinks it would be cool to be a stepdad)
-Good at keeping up with work around the house (since he struggles with that)
-Good driver (He is not a fan of driving, and does not have a car yet)
Do you see some holes or issues in Jimmy’s list? Aside from listing “Hot” as the second most important thing and loving Jesus a few below? He wants his spouse to be in good shape, good with money, enjoying driving, good at housework, a great parent, and all these other things…though he is not currently good at any of those things. So if he were an employer, his standards to hire are above his own qualifications. You cannot expect a potential spouse to make up for all the areas you lack in, especially if you are not working on those things currently.
Ok, let’s go on the other side with a hypothetical list.
Cindy is a 38-year-old mother of 2. She had a rough childhood but got saved in her teenage years and has been in the church ever since. She does occasional shifts at a coffee shop but being a mom to the 2 kids is a full-time gig! Here is her list.
-A PURE MAN OF GOD!
-Still a virgin with no history of struggles with lust or porn
-A successful businessman who can provide a comfortable financial lifestyle
-At least 6 foot 7 inches and some skin pigment because she deserves the classic tall, dark and handsome
-A professional at romance, because she wants to be swept off her feet
-Already great with kids and loves her kids
-Some big muscles and a lean cut abdomen region
-A musician who can sing to her
-A good dancer too, because that would be fun
How about that list? Anything stick out reading that? Cindy is building this perfect image of a man, almost like she visited “build a spouse” (can you imagine if that was a thing? Haha). She wants him to have an almost flawless walk with God despite her having a past herself that she has overcome. The guy she described is almost out of romance novel with Favio (or is it Fabio? Shockingly not a expert on romance novel hunks) on the cover.
These are both waaaaay over the top examples, but the point is, we can make our lists so rigid and specific, that it becomes more like a person out of our favorite romance movie, then a actual real person we can meet.
So many of us in the church can use things like types and the list to shut out any potentially great people just because they don’t look like or act like the romantic dreamboat from the notebook or that totally fine babe from the last Fast and Furious movie. Have that mindset for too long and you pretty much start to have “don’t even try” written on your forehead. If your standards are so far up there that it needs a astronaut suit, it might be time to re-evaluate.
Can I ask you a question? What is your favorite restaurant to visit? Did you drive by it and a glowing light from the heavens came down to show you it was the greatest ever? Not likely. You probably went in to try it out. You probably studied the menu a bit. Maybe even went a few times and tried a few things before deciding it was your favorite. Maybe the first time you thought “This is pretty dang good”, then you went again and got something else and thought “Man this is amazing!” Then after a few more times you made that decision to say it was your new favorite that you were going to support and come back weekly to eat there. You started telling anyone who would listen how amazing it was. You may even have some folks in your life who think you are crazy and think the food is” ok at best”.
How do you find out you like a person? You have to actually get to know them. You have to be around them. Not just at Sunday services or home group settings. I can say I am a slightly or sometimes greatly different person depending on where I am and who I am around. Is this because I am like that Legion guy in the bible who said we are many? I sure hope not (grabs the holy water to splash on my face just incase).
We all perform, we all wear masks in certain places. We do not always show our full selves to every single person we are around. As a leader in the church, I try to be as genuine and personable as I can with people at our services. But, because so much is going on and I may have multiple jobs to get down, I can easily get tunnel vision. I may not be able to have that deep conversation about that certain topic.
When I am at work, as much as I want to be personable and genuine, I will always have “a customer service voice” as they call it. I may be out with a group I will likely always refer to as “my young adults” for a lunch where it is filled with laughter and silliness. Even in that, there may be some not so fun things going on in my life or some topics I may not bring up as it does not fit the setting.
Most of us if we were to be honest, would say only a few people know us on a deep level. How did those people get to that honor of knowing you so well? Did you just go up to them and emotionally vomit your whole life story to them with all the scary parts? No, it was a process. In a similar way with dating, it may take at least a date, or a few to start to get a feeling of who a person is going to be, especially who they would be in a relationship as compared to who they are in other situations. I think many times, without meaning to, we shut the door on some pretty incredible people that are interested in us just because they don’t have the right physical features or a book full of other surface level reasons. We create a list of pre-qualifications that in the grand scheme of things are so unimportant.
I think physical attraction is an important key for relationship, though to base a whole relationship on that or put such a high regard on that, is a mistake.
First off, I can’t tell you how many incredible females I know that when I first saw them I was not overwhelmed with physical attraction but when I got to know them there was this moment where I was amazed with how suddenly and incredibly beautiful they became in my eyes.
I will be vulnerable here and share some things on my more reasonable “list” I have for someone I want to pursue relationship with.
-Has a deep and genuine love for God and has a active relationship with Him.
-Has a love and compassion for people. Does not have to be as “strong” as mine though I don’t see myself lasting long with someone who just hates people in general.
-I have to just enjoy being around them, even in the mundane moments. If I am spending the rest of my life with someone, I want to enjoy it for a larger portion than I don’t
-I want to have a family. I would hope they want kids or even already have a kid or two. For medical reasons, me having kids has some hurdles, so I am more than willing to be a stepdad….by more than willing, honestly it’s more like I would be stoked. I really have a huge love and heart for kids.
My list honestly has become smaller over the years. There are certain important qualities that will never change. I have had girls come around in my life that at first meeting, I would have said there is no way I’d be interested. Yet once I got to know them more, an interest grew that wouldn’t have if I had shut all doors and put up all walls like we can so easily do when we make our requirements for dating to resemble more of the empire state building than some qualities that are important.
My encouragement to those who read this are two things.
First, broaden your horizons. Go on some dates with people you don’t immediately see cupid fly over with little hearts. Just keep it simple with coffee or lunch dates. Ask questions and really get to know them. As long as you communicate (another topic for another blog) your boundaries and intentions, and honor their boundaries, there will likely be little to no harm done. (Should go without saying, but if dude bro or sister friend has the biggest bunch of red flags, you can stop things from going any further right away.)
The other encouragement is, if you have a list, re-do it. If you don’t, make one. Make it a point to list the most important things to your heart. Make less describing a physical person and more about their heart and values. Maybe make a list where you have “must haves” and “would be nice” categories. Having a list can be helpful, but like anything, there can be a ditch on both sides of the road on any topic.
If there is something that can feel more uncomfortable at times sitting in the church than being a “sinner”, it’s sitting in a church being single.
There are all sorts ot ideologies going around regarding Christian dating. What makes it harder is the Bible says a lot about marriage, but barely anything about how to get there.
What is the answer then?
Should we kiss dating goodbye and wait for the angelic encounter to tell us that cutie who sits in the front by the alter is “the one”?
Maybe forget it all and as long as the person can say Jesus and breathes oxygen, it’s go time?
These are humorous, over-exaggerated version of the two common mindsets I tend to see the most. Over spiritualize the dating process or just date any person we are slightly attracted to.
I do not have my doctorate in human emotion. I don’t have a 50 year successful marriage to use to show my experience.
I have, however, in a journey of self betterment, learned from my mistakes. I have watched and learned by other’s mistakes. I have sought teaching from various programs, podcasts and teachings. A combination of all the above create the thoughts and lessons I share.
Dating is such a big topic. It would take more than a blogpost or even a book of them to fully cover everything in the topic of dating. We will just start with an opening discussion.
So, let’s talk about dating in the church!
The “one” is a concept we’ve all heard about. That one person in the world who is our perfect match. Countless childhood Disney princess movies (before attacks start, I am a big Disney fan myself) and all those romantic movies where the couple meet and are just perfect for each other. The stuff of our dreams.
This somehow has become very prevalent in the church as well. Many conversations and prayers using the term “the one” all over the place. Now there are stories of married couples who have encounters with God that seem to prove they were meant for each other. Though if we get mathematical, that would be likely 1% of Christian married couples.
I read this quote that I really enjoy about “the one” on a podcast. When asking a married couple when they knew that they had found “the one”, this is what they said, “I knew I had found the one when I was standing at the alter saying ‘I do’.”
I can hear wrong when I feel like God is leading me somewhere. We’ve likely all felt called to do something and had it not turn out the best. We realize, oh maybe we heard wrong. Maybe we listened to a voice other than God. If we can hear wrong in the small things, why would it be any different in the major life decisions?
Marriage is supposed to be a reflection of Christ and the church. If we look through that lens and try to apply ”the one” mindset, there is a big issue.
God created us with free will; we have to choose him. In the same way, God did not force his only Son to die for humanity. Christ choose to die for our sins. He chose to be our redemption.
In the same way, when we pursue marriage, it’s not because it is the only person God put on the earth to be with. Marriage is supposed to be a choice. A beautiful choice that you don’t just make once, but you choose everyday for the rest of your life. Christ died for our sins. Not just for the days we whole heartedly love him. He chooses us even on the days when we act as if we couldn’t care less about him.
What’s the point? I feel the mindset of “the one”, though a beautiful idea, can also take away the responsibility of the choice we make when we pursue marriage. If we are basing this choice on what we feel is “God’s will”, then what happens if we are wrong? Do we just brush it off as we must have heard wrong? As much of the Disney dreamer as I am, when we over-spiritualize the dating process, it can lead to so many bad outcomes that can be prevented.
So what does that mean for dating in the church? It means we should have and put more value on a dating process.
I can already hear the nails on the chalk board sound of someone saying “I don’t date, I court”. This, of course, being the belief the world has so poisoned the term dating, so we make up our own thing and call it courting. We think it’s very different and so much better.
In courting we:
-only pursue someone we intend to marry
-we always have parents and leaders opinions heavily involved
-We only hang out in groups and public places.
There is probably more I could say on that. I’m not trying to offend any “courting” fans out there, trust me. Though I will say your “courting” is still just your own version of dating.
Dating has been around before the yeet generation, before the radio was filled with rap songs bragging how many ladies a rapper could get, and before the explosion of boy bands. Your parents dated, your grandparents dated.
If I ask you how to cook food, what would you say? Would it involve a stove top? A frying pan? Well, I once had someone cook something for me using a stove top and frying pan and it was awful. It made me super sick. Using a frying pan on a stove top is cooking that didn’t work out, so now I don’t cook food, I “prepare food” and only use the oven. Sound silly? Of course! Cooking is more than just how one person or even multiple people do it. In fact, I’d dare to say we all have our own quirks when we cook.
Dating is not defined by how any certain group does it. We will all take the journey of dating in our own unique way. We will take things that benefit and help us, while also finding things that we could try to do to better. This will have input from those we trust as well as past experiences to create something unique to us.
Here are some of things I’ve come to realize about how we need to change how we look at dating in the church
-it’s great to date with intention to marry, but to put the pressure of marriage in the beginning stages of dating is just unrealistic. You actually have to spend some time dating someone to know if this is someone you want to marry
-its important to have input in our dating process from people we trust, but we can not just copy and paste someone’s dating journey and apply it to our lives. Those people have their own lives, trauma, likes, dislikes, etc that creates their journey. Some things may work great, some may actually be more of a hinderance. It’s our job to craft our dating journey ourselves.
-The cute guy/girl who you keep wanting to stand by in the prayer circle– they are much deeper than the person they are at the church events or hangouts. You won’t and shouldn’t know how they fit you in a dating sense just by being at those events. It’s going to take deep conversations. Seeing them outside the church walls, outside the groups. People who seem the most amazing, anointed, put together folks in the church, can be absolute disasters (I say lovingly) outside it. On the other side of that coin, some of the most amazing people in the church won’t show it until you spend more time with them where they feel they can fully be themselves.
Quick story that shows this well. I have a amazing friend who is like a sister to me. I always talk about how proud I am of her anytime I get, to the point where I think it’s started to lose it’s value. Anyways, she called me one day to tell me a boy from our friend group liked her. She asked what she should do. I asked her if she liked him at all. She had never thought about it and was not sure. I asked if she had ever hung out with him outside of church events. Turns out she had not. She really didn’t know too much about him. She knew he was a very nice guy but not much else. I would dare say he may not have even fit her normal mold of what she thought she was looking for. So I suggested she try hanging out with him one on one before she made any decisions. Turns out, luckily, a few others suggested the same. So she did. It was maybe a week later before she called me again saying how he is the most incredible man she has ever met and she is so in love with him.
She didn’t have this angelic encounter when she first saw him. She was not convinced she was gonna marry that boy (though he may have had his fingers crossed it would happen). Yet at the same time she didn’t just take the little she knew from seeing him at church or group events to form a opinion on if he could be someone she could see herself with. She decided to get to know him, really get to know him on a personal level to see if there was anything there. I could go on and on about this but I’ll save that for another time.
They are now happily married and I will never stop bringing up around her how she was not sure at first but then after doing the simple thing of taking time to see what was there beyond the obvious things she saw in church Sunday gatherings, she now has found the absolute love of her life. You just never know, good and even bad, what is really there until you’ve done the research.
So, be safe of course, take small steps if needed at first. Value your friends’ and mentor’s opinions. Start getting to know people and see the truth, good or bad, before making a decision on how datable or marry-able they are. Don’t put pressures on your dating journey that need not be there. In fact. in the beginning, don’t put that pressure of marriage on anyone. Get to know them (with healthy boundaries) and go from there.
Recently a mom asked me to write about practical tips for staying healthy and feminine in a busy life style. I told her I’d be happy to do so, because this is an important and fun topic for Christian women, but it seems only a few (and especially one) aspect of Godly femininity is usually mentioned and taught.
There is so much more to a truly beautiful woman. Godly beauty starts inwardly, yet shows itself outwardly.
Many Christian women read 1 Timothy 2:9 and interpret the Greek word used for “modest” as covering themselves appropriately. We are taught from an early age not to show too much skin and to cover our bodies in public. But I want to say, this is only part of the meaning of modesty.
“….Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9
KJV translates the word for modest with this: “orderly; that is, decorous; of good behavior, modest”
Though I believe appropriately covering our bodies is important, it is difficult to argue that this is the primary meaning of the Greek word “kosmios”. Rather, I see that God wants us to wear clothing that is pleasing to the eye in a modest manner. We are to take care of our appearance and make sure it is orderly and even decorous. In short, women who are pleasant in their appearance bring glory to God.
The Christian church has focused on “modesty” (their interpretation of modesty) more than on health. I’ve watched the results—many fully covered, unhealthy, unhappy women who are not taught the actual meaning of “kosmios”.
Here are a few things I believe are vital for Godly womanhood:
1. Do what you can to stay healthy.
One of the first steps to spiritual, emotional, and physical health is to keep our weight in check. Buy the weight loss program if you have to. Make it priority—rule over food rather than allow food to rule over you.
Buy a good scale and watch your weight–and if you’re married, do this even while pregnant. “Eating for two” doesn’t mean inhaling two donuts or five pancakes. Double up on the veggies, protein, and vitamins instead, if you need to. If we’re really eating for two rather than eating for ourselves, we’ll be eating in ways that are actually good for our baby and our body. Remember, you’re eating for your baby to form in the healthiest way possible.
The scale is your friend. Use it often and if you see numbers go up, do what it takes to stop the incline before you have serious regrets. This includes while you’re pregnant. If you consume too many empty calories while pregnant, the scale won’t drop easily after the baby is born. (Don’t allow yourself to gain 80 pounds if you only need to gain 40, etc.)
I’m not talking about being a size 2. BUT, I believe women need to encourage each other to stay healthy. Emotionally eating ourselves to ten sizes larger than we should be is not becoming for Godly women. This is a sensitive topic and not one we hear taught, but we need to start hearing it! Physical appearance matters and it affects us more than we know. Let’s not label health and fitness as worldly, but realize this is an area where the church often fails to live exemplary lives. Others look on and wonder why Christians preach against addictions, yet are addicted to over-indulgence with food. Do not all addictions harm the body, and why should teens accept preaching against nicotine from a father or mother who is grossly overweight and literally killing him/herself with sugar?
These are tough questions. But strong women are not afraid to face tough questions. It is high time for us to have worthy answers for those looking on.
Let’s face it—all addictions (not just some) are harmful and unbecoming to Christian women. And often, the more “religious” a group is, the numbers of overweight and unhealthy people increase. Religion labels certain things, but the Spirit of Christ sanctifies ALL things.
2. Exercise.
Getting active is vital for our health as moms. For many years, I pushed two or three babies in a used stroller for my exercise. I walked into town with them, walked around blocks before dinner, pushed them up and down a dusty country road. Wherever we lived, I did what I could with what I could.
Later years allowed for Cross Fit, weights, etc., but even then, the gym was a treat rather than a constant. Busy moms can even get on their living room floor and do leg lifts, crunches, and squats. We can do jumping jacks with our kids and have the best laughs watching them try to co-ordinate their limbs as they jump!
After each of my babies was born, I’d lay on my floor and lift my legs a few inches off the ground to tighten my stomach muscle. The burn and tightness in my abdominal muscles was entirely cost-free, took ten minutes, and could be done with my children all around me. My exercise was incredibly simple some years, but the point was to get moving!
In olden days, a woman’s regular day brought natural effort to their bodies. Scrubbing clothes by hand, hoeing a garden, or walking for water all fostered community and exercise. In today’s world, we can throw laundry into a washer, throw rice into an insta pot, and turn on a faucet for water. The end result is ease but no exercise. So, we have to be intentional about health as never before.
3. Don’t over-spend.
In today’s world, you can wear attractive clothing for only a few dollars. Don’t buy into the lie that it’s okay to walk around looking terrible because you’re a mom and don’t have extra money. Keep yourself fresh and clean, especially if you’re married. (You don’t necessarily need make-up—you just need health, peace, kindness, and good hygiene.
I’ve had very little manicures or pedicures. My hands have callouses and I usually stare wistfully at beautifully maintained finger nails, but I simply don’t have the time or money to spend on pedis and manis. Honestly, I’d rather head to a garden or a barn than into a nail salon, but that’s my Amish farm girl coming out. Those who know me best know I’m happiest out with the animals and dirt, or scaling a mountain.
I buy inexpensive jewelry. When I get compliments I often have to say, “This cost me $5.” I don’t own expensive jewelry and I’m okay with that.
So for those of us who think we can let ourselves go because we don’t have money for a gym membership or clothe purchases, just know that you can purchase a few outfits at Goodwill and work out at home. Even healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive. Be content and be disciplined!!
I put aside the cotton over alls I wanted due to price. I did purchase the $13 Walmart dress. Choices like these help us manage both our wallets and appearance!
4. Let go of the lie that in order to be pleasantly dressed you have to be into the latest fashion.
Truth is, I dislike some of the latest fashions and the other truth is, I don’t want to spend money being up to par with all of that. BUT, I do study clothing and body shapes. Some of us look terrible in what others look great in. Some things are appropriate for one body shape but too revealing for another. Whatever the case, I’ve found joy in a simple approach to clothing where I ponder what looks good or doesn’t look good, yet am not a slave to keeping up with all the latest fads.
We are not Hollywood actresses or fashion models—but hear me carefully, Christian women—our physical appearance is important when it comes to staying healthy and knowing how to dress.
Our bodies are not our own and are to glorify Christ. He is all goodness and love. Do people feel inspired when they look at us?
5. Don’t gain attention by showing too much skin.
Real women don’t have to show everything in order to know they are worth more than anything. Be beautiful, but keep your sexuality for the bedroom. When in public, have class and dignity about you that attracts appreciation and respect more than whistles and leers from player men.
A truly beautiful woman is a faithful woman who loves her husband and strives to be his best friend.
And if I can put a word in for swim wear, here: girls, some of your bikinis aren’t even bikinis anymore. If you’re okay with wearing one, at least cover your bum. Enough said. 🙂
6. Skin Care.
I’m not rigorous about the perfect skin care routine, but it is important to put at least moisturizer on your face twice a day. Wash and care for your skin. Take daily showers, especially if you’re married. The beauty of a woman is the cleanliness of a woman more than the expense spent on a woman. In other words, a healthy, clean woman is often more attractive than an unhealthy woman who spends hundreds of dollars each month to doll herself up.
So don’t stress about skin. You can go as easy as a natural coconut oil if you like. Most of us can’t afford dermatology or expensive skin care and that’s okay! Health comes from the inside out which means what you put into your body affects your skin.
And as you age, forget about getting as tan as you can in summer. Protect your skin more than you used to, to avoid brown spots and leathery skin. Especially if you live in the South! Staying tan is difficult in winter anyway, but healthy skin can be enjoyed year round.
7. Embrace Aging.
What is more needed and lovely than a radiant grandma?! I don’t know about you, but I need grandmothers with grey hair, soft arms, and fires burning in their hearth, heart, and homes. I need grandmothers whose bodies may be growing feeble while their hearts burn with wisdom and insight more than ever.
Only a selfish woman who thinks her value comes from youth and outer beauty will fight and kick the aging process. Having this as your focus leaves you empty, with nothing for the soul of others to connect to. Stay healthy, active, and pleasant—but don’t fret the wrinkles! Just smile a little more as you grow older and allow the joy of you to override the aging of you.
7. Worship.
There’s nothing more beautiful than a woman who worships her way through life. Honor God by worshiping Him through your tears. Truly thank Him for the joys of life. Be a thousand times grateful for the one time critical or negative.
Remember that your soul can be beautiful regardless of who or what is around you. What atmosphere do others get in your presence? Who are YOU—because who your soul is matters more than what your circumstances are.
Christian woman, remember there is so much more to modesty than what is usually taught. Be a lovely, feminine, attractive person in your soul, and strive to show that in your appearance. Even if you’re a tomboy who hates girly things and finds herself out shooting guns and riding horses—be a real woman and be proud of it!!
“Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
I paused before I spoke, carefully weighing each word—and more importantly, each tone of each word.
I had waited for two months to talk with my ex-husband about something that needed to be talked about as soon as it happened (painful things with other women). But, I was terrified to talk even though what had happened was wrong.
That doesn’t sound healthy, you say—and you’re right.
My suffocating experience in marriage led me to research healthy womanhood with a passion. There had to be more to relationship in marriage than what I experienced. Surely this was not what Jesus talked about in 1 Peter 3.
Surely if a wife who loved and served her husband discovered something wrong in her husband’s life, she should be heard?
I knew the answer was yes even though I didn’t experience it. I weighed my words carefully and spent years in confusion and emotional distress because I tried so hard to avoid the hurtful conversations I knew would happen if I tried to communicate.
Thank heaven this is not what a wife is meant to have in marriage.
Let’s take a look at some powerful women in the Bible. Deborah was a prophetess, a wife, during one of the most troubled times of Israel. She’d sit under a palm tree dedicated to her, called “The Palm of Deborah” while the people of Israel came to her for judgment.
When they were oppressed under Jabin, king of Canaan, Deborah called Barak and told him the Lord asked him to go out to war against the king’s army. In verse eight Barak says to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if not, I will not go.”
Deborah goes with him but lets him know that the glory won’t go to him because the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman. (Judges 14)
The battle rages hot but as is always the case when God is on our side, Barak’s army won until each man fell. Every man but one, that is.
When 900 chariots of iron weren’t getting him anywhere, Sisera fled on foot to Jael’s tent. Why this tent? Because there was peace between her husband and the king.
Jael kindly invited Sisera into her tent, comforted him with words of peace, fed him hot milk, and covered him up warmly. He fell asleep and she took a tent spike into her hand, a hammer in the other, and pounded away, into his brain until he was dead.
Then, she reported it to Barak.
Israel’s victory began with two women, one of which obviously went against her husband’s wishes when she chose to fight on the Lord’s side. Get this—she killed a man who was at peace with her husband. The only vibe we get from scripture concerning this act was one of approval, God fighting with her, with them.
She aligned herself well. Remember this, sisters—when your husband opposes God’s kingdom it is of utmost importance that you choose the right side.
Now, lets hop on ahead to 1 Peter 3 where God talks about one of His exemplary women, Sarah.
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conversation of their wives………as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” (1 Peter 3: 1 & 6, ESV)
How do we make sense of this seeming contradiction? By taking the entirety of the Word of God rather than zoning in on one verse. God has a perfect plan for His women and it shines through all of scripture.
Jael quietly did what she needed to do. We don’t read of her becoming feministic, abrasive, or brash. We simply see a woman of great strength with an ability to rise to a God-given occasion to fight for His people.
In that moment, her husband was second to God, not competing with God. This is what we need to remember: our husbands do not compete with God for equal place in our lives. God is number one, always.
I believe God was number one in Sarah’s life and that was the only reason she was able to honor her husband. God was proud of her and used her as an example.
There’s an entire culture of honor we ladies need to live in, walk in, and speak in. We can do this even when we need to say no to our husbands.
My situation forced me to not only say no, but to testify in court against his actions. From closing my mouth in order to keep peace, to opening my mouth and refusing to make peace, this was one bear of a journey.
The Lord let me know one day as I was walking that my husband would leave, and that I would be the one to speak up against his actions. I still didn’t know the extent of gross sin I’d be dealing with, but my heart cried out, “Please Lord, please no. Please not me.”
I wanted so very much to please him instead, but it had become impossible.
When rubber hit the road things not only got worse, but sickeningly disturbing until the entire town was in an uproar. I had to speak with detectives and law, court, and fight for my children until my knees shook.
I could no longer obey, “submit” or pretend to be okay.
And bit by bit, I learned that it was okay for him to be unhappy with me. I’d take my emotions by the shoulders, give them a good shaking and tell myself, “Sara, if he was happy with you, you’d be in the wrong. It’s a good thing, a very good thing, that he’s unhappy with you.”
Sisters, please hear me on this. You are not responsible to make your husband happy, or to keep peace. BUT, if you walk in love and honor, you will make a good man very happy.
If you’re walking in love and with Jesus by your side, you’ll treat him with honor. You won’t yell and be obnoxious. You won’t nag.
You’ll be feminine, gracious, and eager to bless him.
But hear me on this—you will also communicate honestly as you honor him.
You’ll be able to say the hard things.
You’ll be able to say no if he wants to veer right off track into obvious sin.
If he’s pulling toward another woman you’ll be strong enough to stand up to both of them with a better option—that of saving your life-long covenant with your husband.
If the need rises, you’ll be Jael in Sarah’s world.
Sisters, there is no other way.
Abigail brought food to David and God took care of her belligerent husband who became so angry with what she did, that he died. God blessed Abigail for feeding his servant when her husband was selfish enough to cause a war. (1 Samuel 25)
But take note on the extreme cases these examples are. Jael won a war and Abigail stopped a war. Many women today create wars instead because they are too selfish to think past their own skin.
Femininity or feminism?
Feminism tries to prove to men that we can do what they can do. It is obnoxious and nothing short of abusing the word, “woman”.
Feminity thrives in a culture of honor. We honor ourselves when we honor those around us. We are ‘yes’ women with the ability to say no when the need arises. We are graciously strong and refuse to buckle under sin and abuse.
We can stop wars and win wars, but never create wars unless standing for truth creates one of necessity. We are, as Jesus asks us to be, “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16, ESV)
Women of Purpose 