let me be...in Christ

“We are women, and my plea is Let me be a woman, holy through and through, asking for nothing but what God wants to give me, receiving with both hands and with all my heart whatever that is.” 

— Elisabeth Elliot

Why, “Let me be a woman”? What’s the importance of such a quote from Elizabeth Elliot in the 21^st century? Because our culture is so permeated with feminism and gender and role confusion that this quote becomes ever so much more important to anyone desperately seeking to identify as a Christian woman completely dedicated to His service. This new age is all about glorifying and edifying self while disconnecting with our true identity in Christ. As a sinful human aware of God's grace and the freedom found in Christ, it hurts my heart to see some young women giving into the idea that life is lived for self and our identity is found in whatever we say we are.

Everyone wrapped up in this new mindset is understandably unaware of one thing. They are only broken and completely blind aside from Christ.  Many find it difficult to understand that they cannot live a full and complete life with one foot in two different worlds of “be who I want to be” and “who I should be”. It just doesn’t work.

As a young Christian woman, it breaks my heart to watch other young women, who have formerly lost their way from Christ, flounder as they seek new purpose. Insecurity sets in and many of us who find ourselves lost from Christ seek other means of identity. Many of these young women will identify with a people group, a social group, a political party, or sadly….other religious groups aside from the one they grew up being taught in the Church Pew. The sin inside all of us will fight Jesus with everything it has and focuses our attention on anything that is not remotely close to being focused on Christ.

This was especially true for me. As I dealt with struggles and continue to react to experiences in my life, it is often hard to live out part of Elliot's quote. "Let me be a woman, holy through and through...". Growing from experiences that challenged my faith, I struggled to realize that in order to be holy through and through, I had to submit to the One who is the most Holy being in existence. Getting older, I began to understand the steps I needed to take to submit to God, but my own insecurity and longing for my own identity prevented me from finding this security in Him. Many struggled, struggle, and will struggle in this self-same way.

Seeking Christ in things that you read (books, articles, social media posts and videos etc.) and your personal quiet time is a great way, I believe, to act out on the last part of Elliot's thought, "Receiving with both hands and all of my heart". Wow. How hard it is to willingly open both of our spiritual hands and heart, but in giving up our carnal desires in this way, it brings immeasurable peace as God's will begins to replace ours. I still walk this journey, and as I attempt to open my hands and heart every time I pray, I seem to feel my own will pull less and less.

As we grow older, I have found that God painstakingly molds us and uses our lives as well to mold us into the women He can use for His kingdom. The women that need to be vessels for Christ, and not vessels of opinion or bigotry. Our culture fights this mentality so hard that they are redefining what a woman is, and women are allowing themselves to be defined by what a culture says about them versus what they are able to be when they break free and into the arms of Christ. 

Though I by no means equalize the quote to scripture, I did want to highlight one more aspect.

"asking for nothing but what God wants to give me". The hardest part of the entire quote to apply and grasp. Asking for God to manifest His perfect will in our lives is not something we want to do. Giving up control, enacting a forced submission when we're praying...it is difficult for all of us to really connect with God on such a level that we're willing to give all of our own desires in exchange for His. I relate to this struggle so much as I am sure so many can. Though we be Christians and attempt to be one with Christ, we are still humanly sinful. We have to connect with Christ in worship every single day and whenever we are drawn to our knees and seek His wisdom in how to surrender our lives over to Him. His wisdom is insurmountable.

"The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable."

-Isaiah 40:28-

One thing we have to realize in a topic like this one is that according to scripture, women were created to complete men. We have specific jobs that define us in scripture. We are made to work alongside someone else and complete them as they seek to accomplish the task God has given them. "It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him an help meet for him." Genesis 2:18. . Until that day comes, we need to be seeking what God would have us to be doing to prepare for that.

But there could be those of us out there that were called BY CHRIST to a life of singleness and living out a purpose He designed for those specfic women. In these lives God will create a master plan and purpose for them to fulfill. He designs each one of us differently with a different purpose, but with one chief end. To glorify Him. He didn't design us to sit idly by and wait for just the right moment to act out on faith. We are women, and as Christian women, our sole purpose should be to strive to prepare for the purpose, live the purpose, and be an example of Christ. 

My prayer for myself is that I am able to open both hands and let go of self and receive back God's perfect will. Whether that be a life of singleness and service or a life of marriage sharing a common purpose with someone else; it won't come like magic, it won't drop into my lap. It gradually comes for all of us as God shapes and molds us with each life experience. These are the times that shape us and are perfecting us to live out the ultimate life purpose God has for us. We must be ready and we must be accepting of that will no matter what our own may be. "There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel-- that will stand." Proverbs 19:21-. 

I get so excited when I think about what God's going to do, and that's not just in my life, but the lives of others around me. I get excited when I see other young adults going out and pursuing Christ, whether that be through missions, or finding ways to serve in their community. Life is for service and for giving God every moment of victory and defeat along the way. God doesn't call us to just exist but to live and live well. 

He doesn't promise that this road will be easy or comfortable. If we are sold out for Christ, we won't always be sitting in a comfortable chair on Sunday morning with coffee in one hand and our open Bible app in the other. True joy comes from witnessing God come through in the toughest situations, answer the smallest prayers, and redirect the path of a storm. Joy is reaping "with all our heart" the blessings that come from giving of ourselves so that God's kingdom might be advanced in the days to come. Let's open our hands for Christ. 

Madeline-