When I think of what it means to be a gracious woman, I sometimes picture fashionable Southern ladies sipping tea on a porch. I imagine someone who knows the right thing to say at all times. I think of manners, elegance and style.
But being a gracious woman is much more than just etiquette and poise. It begins by saying yes to God's calling for our lives as Christian women. Did you know that God cares about every area of our lives? He wants us to be an expression of His grace, from how we love our husbands to the manner in which we raise our children or how we perform at our jobs. As we begin to recognize and understand the significance of what we do as women, even the everyday tasks that we put our hands to can become infused with new meaning and purpose.
In particular, our lives will reflect three main principles: order, kindness and beauty. A gracious woman is a woman of order. Psalm 50:23b tells us that "to him who orders his way aright, I shall show the salvation of God." God wants us to live an orderly life, not a chaotic one. It begins with having a respect for the way things should be, and having the personal discipline needed to live an ordered life.
Secondly, a gracious woman is kind. Colossians 3:12 says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." We are to be covered in kindness! Our world is a harsh one. Most people don't have time for a kind word, much less for a civil one at times. A gracious woman is kind and has a genuine concern for other people.
Finally, a gracious woman is beautiful from the inside out. 1 Peter 3:4 tells us that as Christian women, we are to have an "unfading beauty that is of great worth in God's sight." True beauty is a reflection of goodness and the joy of living that God wants us all to experience.
Photo: N.L.
No comments:
Post a Comment