“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:38-42 NKJV
When I think about being a woman of God, the first scripture that comes to mind is Proverbs 31:10-31, titled “The Virtuous Wife” in the New King James Version. It is what has been given to me as a template for womanhood. There are a lot of guidelines for what a woman – more specifically, a wife – is supposed to be, or to do in this scripture. Coupled with the expectations of the world and the glass ceilings we continuously must work to break, being a woman used to feel like too much work, and sometimes impossible work. The scripture (Luke 10:38-42) above, however, reminds me that there is only one thing that informs my womanhood, and it is being close to Jesus.
Martha was distracted with the things that she had to do to receive the Lord, and understandably so. There is an unending list of duties that being female comes with, within whichever role(s) you find yourself, whether wife, mother, daughter, sister, etc. Being a child of God also means that you must perform every duty as though it was to God (Colossians 3:23-24), an overwhelming task. But Jesus tells Martha to do as Mary has and focus on the good part. He asks her to focus on Him.
When I think about womanhood in this context, I am reminded firstly that God is my great helper (Psalm 54:4) and that in Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). I am also reminded that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13), so I am not alone and I can measure up to the call of being a woman in Christ. I know that.
But most importantly I am reminded that the Lord loves me for who I am, not what I can do, and that He meets me where I am at. I am encouraged, therefore, to focus more on the Lord of the work, and not simply the work of the Lord.
It is out of Him that it all flows. It is through Him that we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28). There’s no one and nothing else that can inform my identity as a woman except the One who saw it fit to create me.
Now, I am choosing to surrender the duties I have, and prioritising being with the Lord. I am learning to quiet the numerous voices and focus on what the Lord has to say and how He is leading me to fulfil my purpose here on Earth. He has been my helper, and it is a testimony that as a woman, I can find rest. I have therefore concluded: it is a privilege to be a woman, despite the narrative and the setup. I pray that this truth washes over you as International Women’s Month draws to a close. And that you “are fearfully and wonderfully made…” and that you shall know “very well”. Amen.
