I have an issue with the statement, "Become the woman of God that God needs you to be for marriage someday" or the quote, "A women should be so lost in God that a man needs to search Him in order to find her."
Don't get me wrong... I think there is great value to both those statements. However, in Junior High and High School, I took those statements or quotes and pinned them away on Pinterest. I constantly posted them as Facebook statuses. Taped them to my locker and bedroom wall. And when I caved into Twitter? Yeah...probably tweeted something like them more than once. Why? Because I wanted to be able to serve right beside my husband someday. I wanted to be able to be a Godly wife and mother. I wanted to be what my future husband needed me to be. Yet, I never realized that by clinging to that concept I was only motivated to grow in my walk with God by an unknown man who I still don't know the identity of.. I was not always motivated by my love for God.
My spiritual focus became the idea of a husband. Not my God.
Unfortunately, I have noticed that a lot of the focus in teaching teenage girls in a Christian setting is focused on becoming a Godly wife someday. Which is great. We all need that. But, when that is the focus, holes are left unfilled. And to be honest with you, I have done many "Girl-talk" devotions about guys with high-school girls. But my question is this:
Why are we encouraged to grow closer to God as preparation for something? Shouldn't growth in our relationship with Him be our lifestyle? Shouldn't our daily devotions focus on what God wants to teach us at that moment rather than for something in the future? If that is the case, then "preparing to be a Godly wife" isn't even a part of our language anymore. That entire phrase is forgotten and we begin focus on being shaped by God at this very moment.
I believe that God uses our past experiences to teach or frame (as one of my professors puts it) whatever lesson God is teaching us. Since I believe that, I have no doubt that God will teach me today what I need to know for today. But not only that, He will take that lesson and use it to frame or guide whatever he may have for me in marriage.
I challenge to focus on becoming Godly RIGHT NOW. I challenge you to not focus on becoming a Godly wife (or even husband). His grace is sufficient for TODAY.
Girls, remember.. our identity is in HIM. Not in a future relationship.
Don't get me wrong... I think there is great value to both those statements. However, in Junior High and High School, I took those statements or quotes and pinned them away on Pinterest. I constantly posted them as Facebook statuses. Taped them to my locker and bedroom wall. And when I caved into Twitter? Yeah...probably tweeted something like them more than once. Why? Because I wanted to be able to serve right beside my husband someday. I wanted to be able to be a Godly wife and mother. I wanted to be what my future husband needed me to be. Yet, I never realized that by clinging to that concept I was only motivated to grow in my walk with God by an unknown man who I still don't know the identity of.. I was not always motivated by my love for God.
My spiritual focus became the idea of a husband. Not my God.
Unfortunately, I have noticed that a lot of the focus in teaching teenage girls in a Christian setting is focused on becoming a Godly wife someday. Which is great. We all need that. But, when that is the focus, holes are left unfilled. And to be honest with you, I have done many "Girl-talk" devotions about guys with high-school girls. But my question is this:
Why are we encouraged to grow closer to God as preparation for something? Shouldn't growth in our relationship with Him be our lifestyle? Shouldn't our daily devotions focus on what God wants to teach us at that moment rather than for something in the future? If that is the case, then "preparing to be a Godly wife" isn't even a part of our language anymore. That entire phrase is forgotten and we begin focus on being shaped by God at this very moment.
I believe that God uses our past experiences to teach or frame (as one of my professors puts it) whatever lesson God is teaching us. Since I believe that, I have no doubt that God will teach me today what I need to know for today. But not only that, He will take that lesson and use it to frame or guide whatever he may have for me in marriage.
I challenge to focus on becoming Godly RIGHT NOW. I challenge you to not focus on becoming a Godly wife (or even husband). His grace is sufficient for TODAY.
Girls, remember.. our identity is in HIM. Not in a future relationship.