Real Women ~~ Real Answers: "A Woman of Worth"

I conduct Bible studies for high school girls.  Each one of them is searching for her worth.  As older or mature women, isn’t this something they should see in us?  Not all of these students have good examples set before them.  Even the ones who do still struggle. Our culture is pressing in harder than ever on the youth.  Remaining a virgin is mocked, while having lost it is the norm.   I listen to the high school girl who allows her emotions and feelings to dictate what she believes. These feelings surpass God's word and His truth. Last year one of the young women took her own life. I was devastated. I felt like I was in a losing battle for these girls and was tempted to give up. But, I know I am not in a losing battle. I am on the winning side!  This motivated me to teach the following truths from scripture pertaining to the source of our worth, but it has to start from the older women mentioned in Titus 2:1, 3-5.

Colossians Chapter 2:

I can relate to Paul in Colossians 2:1-3 (ESV), "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance and of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I encourage the young women to substitute the town in which they currently live for "those in Laodicea."

What are you seeing about you in these verses?  Paul has a struggle for you.  I have a struggle for the girls I lead in my Bible study.  Do you struggle with those to whom you have the opportunity to minister?

What does Paul want for us?

       To be knit together in love.

        To experience all the spiritual riches.

      To have understanding.

      To have knowledge of God's mystery in Christ.

      What is hidden like a treasure in Christ?

      Wisdom

 Knowledge

God is the ultimate source in our lives for all that we need.  Proverbs 2:3-7

"Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom from the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity."

As women, if we struggle with how to find our worth, these verses show us where we need to go.  But what do we do instead? Do we talk to our friends, shop, eat, or keep overly busy?  We look for the hidden treasure, meaning our worth and purpose, in all the wrong places.

Where is the treasure found? In Christ.

Colossians 2:6-7,  "Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk with him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

When we are in Christ what are we instructed to do?

1.     Walk with Him ( learn how he lived His life)

2.     Get rooted in Him ( all the manure ( trials we go through) around the trees helps them grow and have strong deep roots)

3.     Get built up in Him ( let Him be our strength and comfort)

4.     Get established in our faith. ( study the word by yourself and with others)

Colossians 2:9-13, "For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and YOU have been filled with him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Having been buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from the dead.  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us ALL our trespasses."

How did Christ Jesus give us worth?

1.     We are filled with Him.

2.     Buried with Him; our old sin nature is nailed to the cross.

3.     Raised with Him ; we are new creatures in Christ.

4.     We were dead (don’t drag the old nature of the cross behind you. It’s a rotten dead corpse!)

5.     We are forgiven! We did nothing to earn this forgiveness. We are alive! But God!  Ephesians 2 : 4 -5, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -  by grace we have been saved!

God not only offers us Salvation, but secures it!

6.      Ephesians 2:8, "for by grace you have been (perfect tense) saved through faith. And it is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

There is even more. Ephesians 2:6, "and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

We are going to be given new bodies when Christ returns. My worth doesn’t need to come from my body shape. Thank you, Jesus! But, this fleshly body has to die. My wrinkles are telling me that I am in the process of cocooning!  A butterfly doesn’t get beautiful until the caterpillar part dies. My flesh is in the process of dying. 

Do we really take all this to heart? Why do we turn to other ‘things’ to find our worth?  Why do we act as if we have no worth? Why is not what Christ did for us enough?

When we don’t recognize and steward our worth in what Christ did for us, we can’t give it to the next generation. 

Contributed by Elaine Oostra, Parma, Idaho who has just authored her first book titled One Brick At A Time.  Congratulations, Elaine!

Happy Reading for Real Answers!

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Labels

When you hear the word labels, what is the first thing that comes to mind?  It might well be a sticker such as the one pictured above. While required in the food industry, there is another kind of label that I am referencing this morning, and that would be the type we apply to people which would be the verb usage of the word as opposed to the noun.

If the application is an affirmative one, no problem, and all the better; however, if it carries a negative connotation, there can be far reaching effects, especially if it was applied without substantiation.  Enter the world of opinion which seems to have no end.

Take a moment to reflect upon your life.  Have you been the unfortunate recipient of an unkind or unhealthy label glued to you?  What effect did this have on you in the past, and are you still struggling under the weight of it today?

My sweet mother, Rita, who is no longer with us, counseled her children that she was rearing in the 1960’s with, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.”  As I wondered about the possible origin of that saying, I came across the following information:

“Quote Investigator: The earliest evidence located by QI was published in a magazine profile of Alice Roosevelt Longworth titled “The Sharpest Wit in Washington” published in “The Saturday Evening Post” issue of December 4, 1965. Interestingly, the expression was not spoken; instead, it was embroidered on a pillow. Also, the word “good” was used instead of “nice”. Boldface has been added to excerpts: 1

We walked to Mrs. Longworth’s upstairs sitting room, where she often reads until six o’clock in the morning. Books were piled everywhere on the tables and on the floor, and contemporary newspaper clippings were strewn on the side tables. Coyote skins were lying on the backs of two large, comfortable chairs, and on one of the chairs was a pillow with the words, IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT SOMEONE, SIT RIGHT HERE BY ME.”

While I can’t speak to the veracity of the above, a portion of the description of Mrs. Longworth’s upstairs sitting room could apply to my little living room, i.e., books piled everywhere and contemporary newspaper clippings strewn on the side tables and so forth.  It was my daddy, Trapper Fred, who had coyote skins lying on the backs of chairs inside our house located on Sage Creek Farms.

What I can speak to is sharing with you some of the steps that I have taken to formulate new labels in my life.  One of the key aspects of formulating is to create or devise a strategy for positive change.

• I changed my thoughts, ergo, I changed my world.  I am endeavoring to become who I was destined to be, not who or what someone else thought I should be.  Critic Land has no population shortage.
• There has been a saying floating around of late which goes something along the lines of, “If I had to cut you out of my life, you provided the scissors.”  At first blush, that may sound sort of humorous.  Truth be known, if there are people in our lives who create toxic atmospheres and do not have our best interests at heart, is there wisdom in continuing to foster that friendship and/or relationship if the other person is unwilling to contribute in a positive sense?  You have to be the judge of that situation.  Negativity breeds negativity.  The converse of that is true as well.
• Foods are fortified with vitamins and minerals which are essential for good health.  How many of you recall the cartoon character Popeye the Sailor?  Popeye began as a character in Elzie Segar's daily strip, Thimble Theatre.  He quickly became popular and the Fleischer brothers, Max and Dave, turned him into a cartoon in the early 30's.  His first appearance was July 14, 1933.  His little jingle was,

                                                “I'm Popeye the Sailor Man

                                                 I'm Popeye the Sailor Man

                                                 I'm strong to the finich

                                                 Cause I eats me spinach

                                                 I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.”

• While continuing to eat my spinach, I also drew up a blueprint to fortify my life.  A defensive framework was set in place for protection.  Healthy relationships are as vital for daily living as is healthy eating.
• Most importantly, I endeavor to apply Ephesians 2:20 to my daily life, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  [Emphasis mine]. According to Strong's Concordance of the Bible, the Greek meaning of the word peripateo is to walk.  In other words, it's a way of life.  Realizing that I may fall short of this, I must continue to walk!

I would enjoy hearing from you regarding this aspect of labels along with strategies you have implemented to fashion and affix new ones.

Happy Reading, Labeling, Eating & Walking!

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