We see story after story of Jesus lifting women out of their place of unworthiness and bringing them to a place of wholeness. We see Him talking to them, loving them, healing them, and raising them up to be disciples for Him. He interacted with those considered unclean, and He showed compassion on them as Jesus went against the norms. He saw the uniqueness in women, not just men.
There is something special about women, and Jesus knew this too. His life on earth involved several interactions with women. He had a very soft heart for them when the culture of that day had quite the opposite, with hardened hearts towards women and often looking down on them.
Back in Jesus's day, women had very little social standing. Most lived in a place anchored in shame and unworthiness and were considered second-class citizens. They were not allowed to enter the Temple in Jerusalem in the way that men could or worship in the same way. They were also forbidden from touching the Torah, and rabbis would not teach women how to study it. Men were not supposed to speak to women in public, and women were never allowed to divorce their husbands; only he could divorce her. They were treated as less than and were considered inferior compared to the men of that day.
When Jesus enters the scene, we see Him breaking the barriers of all social norms. We see story after story of Jesus lifting women out of their place of unworthiness and bringing them to a place of wholeness. We see Him talking to them, loving them, healing them, and raising them up to be disciples for Him. He interacted with those considered unclean, and He showed compassion on them as Jesus went against the norms. He saw the uniqueness in women, not just men. The longest recorded conversation Jesus had with an individual was with a woman in John 4:1-26 – with a Samaritan woman with a checkered past at that who had been divorced five times. He came to set that woman out of her place of lowliness and unworthiness and step into the unique calling and gifts He saw in her.
God, too, seeks us out in the same way. He wants to bring us to a place of complete worthiness in Him and has given us unique strengths and gifts to use for His glory. While God has gifted us all with strengths, here are three unique gifts God has gifted women specifically with that we can hopefully see in ourselves and ultimately use these gifts for His glory as many women in the Bible took these gifts and interactions they had with Jesus and turned it around to use them for His glory also.
1. Gift of a Gentle and Quiet Spirit
"Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." I Peter 3:3-4
God has given women the unique gift of establishing a gentle and quiet spirit. This Scripture references how choosing to utilize this gift of a gentle and quiet spirit can heal others. It's not the gift of outer beauty that can heal and touch others, but rather inward qualities that have a lasting effect. Proverbs 31:30 also highlights this: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." The inward beauty of the heart, a gentle and quiet spirit, is a unique gift to women who trust and fear God with their life. A woman who uses such a gift is precious in the sight of God.
Sarah is a beautiful example of women in the Bible who feared and trusted God, exemplifying the gift of a gentle and quiet spirit. She obeyed her husband, showing her gentle and quiet spirit, all while fearing the Lord in the process. Abraham had lied to the king in identifying Sarah as his sister and not his wife (Genesis 20:1-18), and Sarah was immediately taken into the king's captive as a result. Sarah was not trusting Abraham but instead trusted God by fearing and trusting that He was doing work in Abraham's deceptive decisions. Sarah conducted herself with a gentle and quiet spirit and got out of the way so that God could have his way. God eventually intervened and told Abimelech in a dream that Sara was Abraham's wife, eliminating the potential for more problematic circumstances.
As women, we don't always tend to live gently and quietly. Instead, we live with a spirit of worry and anxiety. By learning to use the gift of a gentle and quiet spirit, we can relinquish control, and others will be impacted by this lifestyle of honoring and fearing the Lord above all else. Our gift as women of a gentle and quiet spirit can impact others in a mighty way and grow our faith just as Sarah's did and give us peace throughout our circumstances. We can use this gift for His glory but win others to him as they watch our chaste and gentle conduct.
2. Gift of Faith
"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs without fear for the future." Proverbs 31:25
God has given women a unique gift of faith. While men have faith, too, there is something profound about the faith of a woman who fully surrenders all the unknowns in this world to a God who knows all. Most women seem to be the backbone of families, and often the work done on their knees in their life, praying and praising with faith and believing in a faithful God, will have a greater impact than women who always try to control more. We live in an insecure world, but we serve a secure God and are given a unique gift of faith – clothed with strength and dignity. And through this strength, we can live a life of faith and trust without fear of the future.
As mentioned before, there was a lot of shame on women during Jesus's time on earth. One of the reasons was if a woman was barren, as barrenness brought deep shame upon a family. Hannah is a story in the Bible as Hannah was barren and couldn't have children for the "Lord had closed her womb, even though He loved Hannah." (1 Samuel 1:5)
Her story is one of a faith-filled woman. Her longing for a child and dark season of waiting is something many women struggle with today. Not only was she barren, but another woman provoked her severely to make her even more miserable and disheartened. She received cruelty from Elkanah's other wife, Peninnah. Can you imagine being barren, which is a very shameful thing to be during this time, and imagine longing for a child so badly, meanwhile having another women remind you of this daily? Hannah experienced such grief and pain, yet amid her suffering, she became a woman of faith through her prayers and praise. (1 Samuel 2:1-10).
She didn't turn to something or someone else in her moments of deep insecurity and fear; she turned to prayer, deepening her faith in God. She pleaded with God and promised that if He brought her a child, she would remain faithful and return her child to God for His purposes. God did eventually give her a son, and that son was Samuel. He grew to become a pivotal spiritual leader and prophet who turned an entire nation back toward God. Her mother, Hannah, was gifted like us as a woman with faith, and her mother's faith played a large part in this spiritual awaking during this time as she trusted God with her faith in Him.
Hannah was full of faith in God and faithful back in her vow to God. We, too, are gifted with the same gift of faith. And we, too, can use all the pain we are experiencing into having faith in God, using it for His glory, just as Hannah did.
3. Gift of Wisdom
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7
God has given women a unique gift of wisdom as we are called to unique roles and purposes here on earth. The opposite of wisdom is foolishness, and the book of Proverbs has countless Scripture full of the wise versus the folly and how to practically live out wisdom by fearing the Lord in our daily lives. Your life will look complete depending on whether you choose to live with wisdom over foolishness.
Abigail is an example of a woman who lived a life of wisdom, having to make decisions that took courage and much discernment. In 1 Samuel 25:1-13, we find David, who will one day be the future King of Israel; he was currently on the run from King Saul in the wilderness of Paran. Also, during this time, Abigail is a woman who is married to a very foolish, wicked man named Nabal. The Bible describes him as "harsh and evil in his doings." (I Samuel 25:3)
Nabal interacted with David, who, along with his men, was protecting Nabal's animals. David's men asked for something in return for watching over Nabal's flock, and Nabal arrogantly refuses and then insults and demeans David and his men. In the heat of the anger, David plans for vengeance and retaliation, saying not one male of Nabal's household will survive alive.
Abigail gets word of David's plans, and in this moment, she leaned on her gift of wisdom to help her discern what to do. She approached David with wisdom and discernment. Her words were not foolish or dishonest or of betrayal but one full of tactical wisdom that defused David's anger. Her wisdom saved her entire household. She chose wisdom rather than walking in foolish ways.
We, too, are gifted uniquely with the gift of wisdom and can choose to walk in the same wisdom Abigail did and change the future for our households. Rather than act in ways of foolishness and our own reactive ways, we can lean on the Lord to give us wisdom in all situations to guide our next steps. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lack wisdom, she should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to her." We don't have to make decisions on our own; we have the gift of wisdom at our fingertips and can use this gift to glorify God in all our circumstances.
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Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog by visiting her website or connect with her on facebook + instagram.
