The Do’s of “Biblical Womanhood”

A lot of you know I’ve been in a floundering state lately.  Not only have I shaken my house up like a snowglobe to see how I can simplify more or redecorate with what I have, but I’ve been zeroing in on a lot of my thought processes like a pinpoint too, asking myself, “hmm…why is that?  Why do I think that?”  One thing I’m figuring out is that I’m definitely a workaholic.  I can’t even sit down to watch a video with the kids without having to do something “productive” like mending or organizing or clipping little nails.  In fact, whenever I get into the daydreaming la-la mode, I am quick to nip it in the bud, set the timer for 15 minutes and off I fly!  I also care a whole lot about what people think, and I burden myself too much with trying to at least be acceptable to folks who have already made up their minds that I shall never be such.

In addition, there is sometimes a disconnect between my slow-life-spirit and my fast-life-flesh. “Hmm…why is that?”

It seems to me a lot of Christian women have their own “gotta do’s” or “must be’s” in order to live the abundant life.  Do any of these sound familiar?  A Christian woman:

• reads her Bible every day, without fail, during her “quiet time”
• prays constantly
• serves cheerfully, gratefully, sacrificially, constantly
• respects her husband completely
• is always ready to train up her children at the moment they need training
• builds upon her family’s economics by preserving the harvest, baking from scratch, buying used
• receives every baby faithfully, unwavering
• forgives, loves, and does good all the days of her life

None of these things sound bad, do they?  In fact, they might be qualified in some circles as “fruit”, obvious manifestations to the testimony this woman claims to have.  But I do wonder about this verse:

 John 6:29   Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

That, dear readers, is the real “work” of the Christian woman:  to believe on Jesus Christ, trusting Him for your repentance towards God.  May I add “period”?

I wonder how many of us are running ragged, struggling with finding joy, swimming in doubt because we are just plain tired of all the to-do’s and must-be’s?  May I remind you that it’s been DONE?  Every work you needed (and need) to do to please the Father, He did (and does, through you!). All you and I did before getting saved was heap wrath upon ourselves, even in our moralistic good works.  And all we do now by trying so hard to be that “Biblical Woman” is make ever growing checklists of what exactly defines that.  How disappointed are you when you don’t measure up?  Most importantly, does Jesus think you aren’t measuring up?  Whose standards or expectations have you adopted?  And how is that different from what Jesus said the work of God is?

Maybe we need to stop trying so hard to work for that sense of accomplishment and acceptance.

If you’ve repented and put your trust in Jesus, you can rest in peace, truly.  And all of those really nice sounding “to do’s” that we’ve added to ourselves will stop being things to DO but things that will just outflow from our lives, naturally, as the Lord leads.  He is moving us towards sanctification, and He isn’t whipping us to get there, but asking us to follow.  And we’re not responsible for the sins of others, either, especially if our consciences are clear.

Philippians 1:6   Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…

I hope you’ll remember His finished work on your behalf, that you are loved by the Creator of the entire universe and entirely accepted and loved through Jesus Christ.  May grace abound to you more every day as you seek a happy home.  I for one am going to allow myself a little more daydreaming.

Blessings,