Women Allowed....and Needed!

Ok, I know what you may be thinking by the title of this blog….another woman power-type blog or here we go, another male bashing crazy woman! To that, I say, No! Not at all!
 
Instead, settle in…the ride may get a little bumpy!
 
I love children. I have three little ones of my own and probably would have more if I physically could. 

Along the way, I have volunteered in children’s ministry. I do not see it is so much as my calling…more like paying my dues as a parent. Sure, I have a teachable spirit so I have been good at “borrowing” teaching tips along the way. Some have even mentioned that “You must be a teacher.” Ok, so maybe I have been blessed with some amazing children in my care. I love children’s ministry and believe it is the key to a church’s growth and survival. I also firmly believe that children can have a relationship with Jesus and that God can and will use little children to affect change in this world. However, as any parent knows, parents have a lot of influence over what a child thinks, says and does. A parent who doesn’t want “that” in their house can quickly silence that little child who was so on fire for Jesus during church camp.
 
So while I, like Jesus, love the little children, my focus has been slowly shifting to the parents of these little children, specifically the mothers and the grandmothers.
 
There is a movement brewing in this country, and perhaps around the world. It is not a movement that is about equal rights for equal pay. It is not a movement about breaking glass ceilings or whether women can be soldiers. No, it is a movement of women that are so on fire and sold out for Jesus Christ it is like Black Friday every day. They line up waiting anxiously for conferences to open up, for books to go on sale and to see what the latest Christian blogger has to say about something.
 
And you know what? I believe these women will move mountains.

My husband is a member at a very prestigious golf club for MEN ONLY. Yes, that’s right….MEN ONLY. No women allowed…ok, one exception…Valentine’s Day they open it up to husbands and wives --- uh huh, you know so men have that covered! And you know what, I am TOTALLY ok with it. I am totally ok with the fact that my husband has a place to go to just be. No matter what the women’s liberation movement says, men and women aren’t the same….never will be….so why fight it? Embrace it!

Some within the Church think that in order to change our society, we have to get to the men first. I don’t agree completely on this one. Let me tell you why.
 
While the man is the head of the family, the woman has her hands on the family. Read that again. While the man is the head of the family, the woman has her hands on the family.
 
Women are influential in almost every thing their family does. Women are the ones who are making the day-to-day decisions that shape their families. And sometimes, women are the only ones making the decisions because men have checked out. There are many reasons why men check out of the family unit…some go after careers, some go after other women and start new families, some are incarcerated and some are there, but ill-equipped to lead their families.
 
And while we live in a male-dominated society and probably always will, let it be known, in case someone has missed it, that God created women for a purpose. He needs us to get His work done too. Don’t miss for a minute the fact that while most of Jesus’ disciples ran for their lives when he was arrested and on the Cross, his mother Mary was there and so was Mary Magdalene. No fear could keep them away from the Messiah they loved. And then there was Deborah who was sent into battle. No, God did not orchestrate an army of women, but He did use a woman to light a fire under the you know what of a man to move him into battle. And Esther. And Abigail. And the woman at the well. And Mary and Martha. Should I go on?
 
I found these statistics from a church’s men’s ministry from 2008* (hopefully the statistics have changed since then, but I think you get the point):
 
*** On any given Sunday, there are 13 million more women than men attending church services.
 
*** Almost 25% of married women attend church without their spouse.
 
*** 90% of the boys raised in church will abandon it by their 20th birthday and most will never return.
 
I totally agree that the men of our society need to be sought after, but it’s NOT a job for a woman.
 
What can we do then? We can be there for that woman who sits alone every Sunday (without judgment), we can pour into our women’s ministries as we battle the enemy who tries to shield the success of women’s ministry from the eyes of church leaders, we can actually sign up for and attend Bible studies, we can take our families to church and church events, we can pray over our houses and families and every thing else under the sun, we can talk about our passion for Jesus with our girlfriends just like we do with the latest fashion trend or celebrity sighting and we can be the ones who set the example for other women to follow.
 
Most importantly Church, we need to allow these women to be used by the same Holy Spirit that fills the men of the church. God doesn’t give a male portion and a female portion of the Holy Spirit, just as a child doesn’t get a child’s portion of the Holy Spirit.
 
Ladies, know that you are important. The Father needs you. The Church needs you. Your families need you. Society needs you.
 
I came across a quote yesterday from Matthew Arnold, a nineteenth century British poet and philosopher. It said, “If ever there comes a time when the women of the world come together purely and simply for the benefit of mankind, it will be a force such as the world has never known.”
 
Can you picture it? Can you imagine the force the multitudes of godly women could have in this world…in this time?

Sister, you have a place in this world, a purpose and a God-shaped heart that can only be filled by Him. It is ok to have a burning passion for Christ.
 
Step out in faith. Hold on for the ride that is igniting all over the place. Women, don’t worry about equal pay and equal rights….focus instead on how you can be the change agent for your families, for your community….focus on your relationship with Jesus and what He is asking of you.
 
Lock arms you daughters of the God Most High. Are you ready?

* Source: http://www.bcne.net/files/Documents/Evangelism/Mens Ministry/Building a Men's Ministry.pdf