Doing my best to puncture the balloon that Ladies Ministries try to inflate


I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. ~Job

To possess dignity is to be worthy of respect. Worthy of high esteem. Absorb this: you are worthy of respect. ~Beth Moore

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” ~Isaiah

Be kind to yourself. Be compassionate to yourself. Be loving to yourself. Be patient with yourself. Have the courage to be yourself. ~Christine Caine

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ~ Simon Peter

Who you are is more important than what you are called to do. ~Priscilla Shirer

Man was created to glorify God. (Isaiah 43:7). Our inherited sin nature makes it impossible to do that without His redemptive work in our heart. It's important to see ourselves as we are (were). Ladies, yes, it's good to have "self-esteem" to the extent that we know who we are. We're sinners, saved by grace alone. Women's Ministries these days over-emphasize that we are women of valor, courage, of worth, esteem, and bravery. We're princesses, running around sunlit meadows in wedding dresses dripping pearls.

Or we are as Isaiah, Job, and Peter saw themselves when they saw God: as worms in the dust, sinning with the pigs and needing to rely totally on the Father for any scrap of righteousness we might possess.

Praise the Lord He came, died for sin, was buried and resurrected. He glorified the Father and His reward will be...us. The Father will give Him a Bride, redeemed and washed. It is all about the Trinity and His work. it is not about us, our worth, our esteem, dignity, or "who we are."

O Lord, depart from me, I am a sinful woman. Yet He lifted me from the muck and mire and gave me His righteousness, robes, Spirit, and future. From that moment, when I search inside myself to see my worth, esteem, or dignity, what I see is His.



Comments

  1. Focusing on ourselves (excessively) is actually bondage instead of freedom. We won't find contentment in us but in Him and His Word.

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  2. So relatable , this is exactly what women's ministry is ... Closet feminism. Trying to reconcile that truth to my need for fellowship with other women. But I cannot buy into their self righteous nonsense. But I want friends. Ahhh, the struggle !

    Anywho , in the first paragraph of your post , after the quotes - the first word of the sentence should be "man was created..." But it says May. Much love and thanks for your reverence of truth!God bless.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Shannon,

      Thanks so much for pointing that out. Argh, I read adn re-read and the typos still escape me.

      As for women friends, pray to the Spirit and ask for a female companion that's doctrinally aligned with you to whom you can minister, and vice versa. He gives good gifts. He will do it.

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