Women of God, Where are You?

How did we get from “Older women teach younger women” to what we have today? How did we get from spiritual mothers discipling younger women in the faith to a handful of Christian celebrities with the right connections putting out prepackaged Bible studies and applications. When did Bible study go from being something you do to being something that you purchase? We have gone from being women like Priscilla, who was so deep in the Word that she was able to help correct the doctrinal error of a man who God called “mighty in scriptures,” to women who won’t even chew their own spiritual food. We just lay there with our mouths open and receive little bits that someone else has worked for and chewed and digested. And we wonder why we are so spiritually anemic? Heartwarming snippets of verses posted on Instagram with a fall filter are not going to help us endure persecution. Christian culture hashtags and platitudes are not going to keep us walking in truth when we are being inundated with lies that our deceived little hearts are prone to believe.

Why do we prefer to be taught by women with whom we will never have a conversation? A cup of coffee? A word of advice about our parenting struggle, or marriage crisis? Why do we pursue teachers who are under no one’s spiritual authority? Therefore, if they go off the rails and start teaching what is false, there’s not a thing anyone can do about it, and yet they have a worldwide platform at their disposal. This troubles me.

And where is the Holy Spirit? Is He not still gifting women to teach other women? Isn’t that a gift that will be given to all of the churches? Teachers? I am concerned that our teachers are not rising up and teaching because they can’t compete with the fame and finesse of the handful of celebrities that have been lifted up as leaders for the whole body of Christ. We are robbing ourselves. We are missing the point. And we are not growing. We are living on starvation rations of God’s Word, because we do not know how to feed ourselves, so we are becoming weak women who raise weak children and create weak churches.

I heard a pastor say that the body of Christ is about to run a marathon, and we have been living on a diet of Twinkies.

That is not going to cut it. Not for holiness. Not for discerning truth in a word filled with lies. Not for intimacy with the Living God. Not for conviction of sin and repentance. Not for BECOMING a godly older woman someday who is able to instruct younger women. It is not enough. And if we think we don’t have time to go deep in the Word, then we need to make time. We make time for oxygen. It is that important. I heard a man once say that if you just can’t get everything done, then leave things undone and cultivate your heart before God. You are a better wife when your heart is alive and well. You are a better mother when your heart is alive and well.

That starts with God’s Word. Consume it. Study it. Learn to feed yourself,  for the good of your family, your church, and for your very soul.