Who's the ugliest woman you know?
Odd question?
Possibly, if we pursued it, we'd prob find that the ugliness had nothing to do with physical features, cost of the wardrobe or colour of her hair. It probably had to do with the condition of her heart.
Beth Moore, in prep for study on Esther, asked "What are the three toughest things about being a woman?"
Many of the answers had to do with hormones. No easy way around that. But many of the answers also had to do with expectations: expectations women put on themselves and expectations put on them by others.
Do you know we commonly make or hold unspoken psychological contracts with people? We do.
We often assume mutual respect or courtesy or consideration.
But sometimes we make these contracts with people who are incapable or unwilling to reciprocate.
We give. They take.
We forgive. They assume we always will.
Or we're whiny & high maintenance and we assume they'll put up with it.
We are mean or selfish, or they are, and we never think of how to break that cycle.
Those of us who call ourselves Christians have made another contract.
We made Jesus lord, possibly not knowing all that was involved but still, we chose.
What that means is Jesus is Lord of your
How do you define yourself?
Do you allow others to define you?
Many of those women were probably happy just to be part of the harem, no worries mate.
But Esther was chosen as queen. What do we know of her? What can we learn from her choices, her reactions, her knowledge of herself and the dilemma her people were in?
Many of us read such stories, or even watch movies about heroines, strong brave faithful women, and we wish we were in their shoes!
Or do we?
It's stinking hard work being brave, standing up for what you believe in, knowing who you are and being faithful to that identity.
Some of us find comfort in hiding behind our husbands, or our wounds; we almost wear them like a badge! "This is me. I can't help it."
Come on girlfriends! Look up. See the God who created, called and gifted you!
You're beautiful, on some level, and not the one decided upon by the magazine editors, you have a beauty, a value, that is unparalleled, unduplicated. Be you.
Odd question?
Possibly, if we pursued it, we'd prob find that the ugliness had nothing to do with physical features, cost of the wardrobe or colour of her hair. It probably had to do with the condition of her heart.
Beth Moore, in prep for study on Esther, asked "What are the three toughest things about being a woman?"
Many of the answers had to do with hormones. No easy way around that. But many of the answers also had to do with expectations: expectations women put on themselves and expectations put on them by others.
Do you know we commonly make or hold unspoken psychological contracts with people? We do.
We often assume mutual respect or courtesy or consideration.
But sometimes we make these contracts with people who are incapable or unwilling to reciprocate.
We give. They take.
We forgive. They assume we always will.
Or we're whiny & high maintenance and we assume they'll put up with it.
We are mean or selfish, or they are, and we never think of how to break that cycle.
Those of us who call ourselves Christians have made another contract.
We made Jesus lord, possibly not knowing all that was involved but still, we chose.
What that means is Jesus is Lord of your
- Relationships
- Decisions
- Your expectations
- Your identity
How do you define yourself?
Do you allow others to define you?
- Gifted
- Beautiful
- Awesome work of God's very own hand.
- Known
- Loved
- Desired
- Unique
Many of those women were probably happy just to be part of the harem, no worries mate.
But Esther was chosen as queen. What do we know of her? What can we learn from her choices, her reactions, her knowledge of herself and the dilemma her people were in?
Many of us read such stories, or even watch movies about heroines, strong brave faithful women, and we wish we were in their shoes!
Or do we?
It's stinking hard work being brave, standing up for what you believe in, knowing who you are and being faithful to that identity.
Some of us find comfort in hiding behind our husbands, or our wounds; we almost wear them like a badge! "This is me. I can't help it."Come on girlfriends! Look up. See the God who created, called and gifted you!
You're beautiful, on some level, and not the one decided upon by the magazine editors, you have a beauty, a value, that is unparalleled, unduplicated. Be you.
My random thoughts will probably offend someone.
Tell me how and why? Join the conversation.
Tell me how and why? Join the conversation.
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