What is biblical femininity? Am I biblically feminine? How do I raise girls who are feminine? These are a few questions I myself have asked over the years. Reagan is at the age where she loves dressing up. She has her purple high heel shoes with jewels on them, her tinkerbell dress, her little tutu, and hats galore! She loves lipgloss and painted fingernails and getting her hair curled for church. She is for the most part a very girly girl and we are so glad! But I have to ask myself if I am training her to be biblically feminine. I know that most of the women I see on magazine covers or on TV may be all dressed up and act like women, but the majority of them are not seeking to glorify God, but are seeking to magnify themselves. Through books I've read and messages I've heard, the woman who is biblically feminine is one who is not inward-focused. She's is a helper. She seeks to show compassion to others and she is devoted to making her home a safe-haven. She is gentle and kind. She values male and female distinctions because she knows that this is God's design and order. She is not threatened by male headship. She knows that submission has nothing to do with staus. Submission has to do with function. It is the way God has ordered life in the kingdom, and it is good because God is good! She is a woman who earnestly prays, who refreshes others, who serves her family, the church and the lost.
It is sobering to think I am the one who my girls see and observe most of the time and they are going to learn so much from my example; so I am drawn to examine my own life. They will learn how to grow in feminity not only through times when I am sitting and training them, but more so by how I respond and serve my husband, my attitudes while I am running errands or making dinner, my tone of voice as I am correcting them, the words I speak while I am on the phone, etc.
So, how do we pass the legacy of biblical womanhood on to our daughters? Here is a list of suggestions (certainly not exhaustive) from the book "Building Strong Families" by Dennis Rainey from the chapter on how to raise feminine daughters by Susan Hunt:
First, we must remember that God has given us every resource we need. He has given us His Holy Spirit. We have the very power of God within us to give us grace and wisdom for the task, and we must pray for the same power to be at work in our girls. It is the power of the gospel that will transform them!!
We must diligently teach our daughters bilblical truth from His Word and pray that the Holy Spirit will apply that truth to their hearts. (Psalm 119:9, 11)
We should pray for hedges of protection around our daughters. Select portions of Scripture and pray them into our girls' lives.
We must teach our daughters that living for God's glory is beyond their ability. It is a work of grace. We should teach them to flee to the cross for grace and mercy, and then to become a stream of grace and mercy to others. They will learn this best by seeing us live in this way.
We must be wise! We must be aware of cultural influences, and we must warn our daughters of the dangers of ungodliness.
After reading more on this subject today, I am freshly aware of my need for my Savior and for his grace! And I am so grateful that He gives us all the grace and mercy we need for each day when we call on Him!! Today, I hope you too are freshly aware of God's mercy and goodness in your life!
It is sobering to think I am the one who my girls see and observe most of the time and they are going to learn so much from my example; so I am drawn to examine my own life. They will learn how to grow in feminity not only through times when I am sitting and training them, but more so by how I respond and serve my husband, my attitudes while I am running errands or making dinner, my tone of voice as I am correcting them, the words I speak while I am on the phone, etc.
So, how do we pass the legacy of biblical womanhood on to our daughters? Here is a list of suggestions (certainly not exhaustive) from the book "Building Strong Families" by Dennis Rainey from the chapter on how to raise feminine daughters by Susan Hunt:
First, we must remember that God has given us every resource we need. He has given us His Holy Spirit. We have the very power of God within us to give us grace and wisdom for the task, and we must pray for the same power to be at work in our girls. It is the power of the gospel that will transform them!!
We must diligently teach our daughters bilblical truth from His Word and pray that the Holy Spirit will apply that truth to their hearts. (Psalm 119:9, 11)
We should pray for hedges of protection around our daughters. Select portions of Scripture and pray them into our girls' lives.
We must teach our daughters that living for God's glory is beyond their ability. It is a work of grace. We should teach them to flee to the cross for grace and mercy, and then to become a stream of grace and mercy to others. They will learn this best by seeing us live in this way.
We must be wise! We must be aware of cultural influences, and we must warn our daughters of the dangers of ungodliness.
After reading more on this subject today, I am freshly aware of my need for my Savior and for his grace! And I am so grateful that He gives us all the grace and mercy we need for each day when we call on Him!! Today, I hope you too are freshly aware of God's mercy and goodness in your life!
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