As a woman living in a world often preoccupied with beauty standards, materialism and achievements, it can be challenging to focus on that which matters most. For the Christian woman, there remains the fight between the voice that compels you to evaluate yourself against other women, wives, mothers or girlfriends and the voice that tries so hard to get you to slow down and see beyond your earthly sight.
This is the kind of woman that God calls us to become, a woman of virtuous character and purpose from the inside out, which is found precious in His sight. But how do we grow into this woman and where do we begin? I’m glad you asked, I would like to share three ways in which you can grow not only in godly character, but be transformed by God’s Word.
- Learn about the qualities that God (not the world) finds precious
God has given us His self revelation. All that He desires for us to know about Him He has made known to us through the Word, which is His story. Whenever we turn to social media, magazines or celebrities to define desirable qualities for us, we remain in a perpetual state of never quite feeling satisfied and we’re left feeling incapable of measuring up to the ever changing standards of the world.
If we’re to grow in good character as women, we have to get to know our God, personally, because only He can truly inform us of what matters most. You can learn what God calls good by studying His Word, the fruit of the spirit is a wonderful place to start getting familiar with the character God desires us to be shaped in and to see His own personhood reflected in. Beauty goes beyond the surface in God’s definition, it points to godly qualities.
Scripture:
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. (Proverbs 31:30)
Ask God to mold those qualities inside of you
What do you do after you have read God’s Word for yourself and realize there is a lot of work that goes into growing in those traits? The beauty of grace that comes with being a Christian is that God does not call us to figure out how to get from one place to another on our own, but He promises to guide us and to be the one working out that good work inside of you, a work that He Himself will finish as you continue to follow Him until the end.
This is where prayer comes in, it develops the character of humility within us, as we realize we cannot be selfless, patient, forgiving, forbearing, or trustworthy all on our own, we need His Spirit to work in us. It is God’s will for us to grow in His likeness and in character that goes beyond appearance, when we ask Him to help us grow in these areas of our lives, it pleases Him because it is His good will for us.
Bible verse:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)
Actively seek ways to practice those qualities in your life
There is nothing quite like the results that come from putting actions behind your intentions. What this means is that, desiring the quality of patience, and even praying about it, is only half of the work that is required to truly grow in patience.
The next step is opening up your eyes and ears to the ways God wants to teach you those qualities right where you are. This is where you ask yourself how you can practice patience in situations you would have otherwise handled with impatience. This is the hard part, but the more you practice, and do so intentionally, the more it grows to become a character trait of yours that others will so clearly be able to behold.
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:17)
A journey of a day at a time
The journey to becoming a virtuous woman is just that – a journey. We will never be perfectly patient, kind or understanding, but we can grow immensely in all those areas of our lives, so be encouraged today, sister!
My challenge for you is this, begin to open God’s Word for yourself, learn what He is like and what He calls you to be like, and choose one or two qualities that you would like to grow in. Write those qualities down, and search the Word for scripture that speaks of those qualities. You can take it a step further and write out one of those scriptures and begin to commit it to memory. This will help you to remember that truth when you need it most. Pray that God will help you grow in that character, purpose , and expect for it to be uncomfortable at times, stretching you into a virtuous woman, who reflects the heart of Christ.
I hope you become a virtuous woman that pursues purpose of being everything God created you to be
Founder
Rolonda Washington