A Woman's Pursuit

I have been leading a small group of women through a Biblical Womahood study once again.  We are four sessions into it and and are really getting a lot out of the lectures and the discussion.  This past week we listened to "Advocates Who Undermine"  which is absolutely incredible!!  If you can carve an hour out of your time, click on it to listen to it; it is WELL WORTH IT!!!  Can't tell you how insightful and interesting it is!!!
Here is something I wanted to share with you all, even if you do not have time to listen to it.  Let me just preface it in saying that Satan is the master deceiver.  He is crafty at it too; meaning he can twist the truth and deceive you without you even realizing it.  He does this in our personal lives/thinking/ feelings.  And he does it in our culture and nations as well.  A large area that I see him weaving his web of deception is in the area of career driven women and it saddens me.  I see more and more young women spend the most energetic years of their lives pouring themselves into schooling, and more schooling, jobs, and then jobs that turn into careers.  Finally, when they feel as though they are far enough along and settled enough, they want to start a family.  Sometimes (and becoming more often than not) it's a little too late for them biologically.  Sometimes they do but they're so tired that kids become more of a burden and headache than a joy and delight!  I see women put more time into achieving and getting ahead in their careers than I do seeing women strive to achieve and learn how to be a better godly moms.  Satan has deceived our culture into this backwards thinking that woman are not valuable and will never be satisfied unless they're contributing in the workforce.  With that being said, I will continue with the email correspondence I had with one of the women in the study:

Participant in Study (who was absent that night but listened to it online herself wrote me this email):  "I enjoyed the historical aspect of this study for sure!  I kind of sense an underlying theme regarding working moms, interested to explore further!" 

My Response: "That's interesting...I haven't gotten that at all. the women and I in our discussion afterwards were even talking about how we liked the fact that Lisa said, "There is nothing wrong with women having a career. There is nothing wrong with women working outside the home. The question is, 'is that the premiere pursuit of her life? Is that they place that she was designed to make the most significant difference in this life?' I would argue that the career is not the premier pursuit of a man's life! Is that what God designed the premier pursuit of a man to be either?"   Now, I do know that God communicates and presses on different women's hearts different things through this study. Sometimes, through the study, some women feel strongly convicted and have a peace and a 'calling', if you will, to get their family's finances in order and begin living on a tighter budget, so that they can begin to be a stay-at-home wife and mom. A super smart woman in our last Community Group, whom she and her husband now lead a CG of their own as well as Financial Peace University groups too, became a stay at home Mom after having a career for 20 years and absolutely LOVES it!  A big desire to do this was fueled through the BW study.  I also know other women who have taken the study but are still continuing to work and stay in their careers and are okay with that.  I agree with Lisa in that I don't think either is right or wrong for all women! Whatever you are feeling like God is leading you to is where you need to be in (as long as it is in unity with your husband too). However, God does say that our family is to be our first area of ministry! So if women do have a job/career outside the home, they do have a responsibility to not let it take priority over their husband first, and then their children. It's recognizing that there is so much more we can contribute in this world: the pouring of God's teaching into our children, the next generation.  As Deuteronomy 6:1-7 says, "These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children, and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all His decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord your God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

God created us to be God-worshipers and followers. He instilled in us the ability to reproduce His crowning achievement, people, in His image, and He commissioned us to raise up more God worshipers! That is our premiere, and even EVERLASTING pursuit that will transcend this life and impact the life to come!! Shouldn't we not want to make that our priority?! job or no job?

love you, friend! so thankful you are in our group and challenging me with interest and questions! I love your perspective and insight and am so thankful for your contribution and what you bring to the table!"