Strength & Beauty

I really enjoyed Eric's message yesterday, it is essential that we understand the basics of our identity isn't it. We were made male & female - this is as basic as it gets & if we remain confused about what that means then I don't see how we can get any other identity issues sorted out.

As a woman we not only need to support who God made men to be but we also need to know how to support them. It's easy to say yes I agree a man should be a warrior, but what are you doing to support him in being a warrior? How easy do we find it to criticise men for all their failings? Think about it. As women we are very guilty of taming our men, undermining our men & domesticating our men. This is not just wives I am talking about, all women come into contact with men every day, how we treat them, speak to them & feel about them has a huge impact on them. I have learned over the past few years how important it is to be try be a Godly woman by respecting the men in my life. I have dedicated time to understand the role of a man & a woman so that in my home, in my church team, my work place, etc I can bring out the best in the men God has put me in contact with. Here are just two practical tips that may help:

1. How do you dress? 1 Peter 3:3-6 Men are visual & you are a tease if you display your body parts - plain & simply. Are you helping the men in your world stay pure or are you testing their lust boundaries? Are you ready to marry the man that you are teasing, the Bible does say that if you feel you can't control yourself you should rather get married than to burn with passion... so are you ready to marry the man that you are causing to burn with passion or would you rather dress carefully so you don't stir up his passion? 1 Corinthians 7:9

2. How do you speak? Proverbs 18:21 Do you speak down to men like they are idiots or do you find the good in them & draw it out with your kind & encouraging words? Bottom line, men need respect, they need to feel like the hero! If we want to be treated like a princess then let's start acting like one & let's start treating them as the hero. No matter how we feel we need to show respect. If you want to feel the strength, safety & security of having warrior men surrounding you then use your kind words to show them the respect they need to give them the courage to be all they can be. As women we have a huge influence over men, sadly most women use it to control & get what they want.

What do you think girls, am I being too harsh? Use the comments box below, tell me truthfully your views. That's enough from me, have a listen to what Eric said about the role of a man here. This Sunday I will be focusing on the beauty side of things in the Strength & Beauty series, so bring your girlfriends for a spiritual pamper party or if you don't live nearby listen to the podcast. Don't let the men in your world stay away though, it's equally important that they know the role of a woman so they can see how God made us both & put us both on this planet for a specific purpose.