First of all, I want to say a big Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Especially to my wife, who is a great example of a mother. Also a shout out goes to my daughter, Natalie, celebrating her first Mother's Day, and to my daughter-in-law, Dana, celebrating her first Mother's Day. Our grandchildren are in great hands and we expect great things in their lives as they are directed to follow God's path. I also want to thank my mother for all the sacrifices she made for me through the years. It enabled me to follow the Call of God in my life and that is the most important decision a person can ever make.
I want to take a step back one level though and say a big Happy Godly Women's Day to those women who dedicate themselves to living a sold out life for Christ. I say one step back because not all women will physically have the chance to have children and become a mother, but it doesn't lessen the impact they have on everyone around them. Also, there are great mothers and not so great mothers, but you will never have a bad Godly Woman. Thus, the "Godly" part. The importance of motherhood should never be lessened (I'm here because of it), but it is only one part of womanhood. Women have always had a chance to be a significant part of God's plan. Those women who follow Christ and His Call on their lives are vital to the overall impact of Christ in our world. In a nutshell, Godly Women can make or break families, encourage God's Call on people's lives, and help make evident many other important elements of the faith. Thank you God for Godly Women!!
I had such a lady who came into my life when I was 11 years old. Her name was Audrey Lee Stone. Audrey Lee never married, but her impact as a single woman was felt by many who came in contact with her, especially me. She was one of three people who first came to my home to share the gospel with my mother, sister, and me. After sharing with us she spent her time for the next month praying for my salvation. It was at the end of that time that I knew I needed salvation and came forward in church and prayed to receive Christ. As was customary in our church, I was put in a receiving line at the end of the service for people to come by and welcome me as a new believer. It was a very touching time for me. When all these people came by and hugged my neck it was a great time of encouragement that really meant a lot. Then Audrey Lee came through. She was only 5' tall , so she was about my height. She stopped in front of me and as she hugged me, she looked me in the eye and after putting her hand on my heart said, "David, God has revealed to me that His Hand is on your life." I will have to admit I didn't really know what she meant when she said that and it literally shook me to my core. I thought she probably said that to everyone. Years later when I was praying about surrendering to the ministry, I went to Audrey Lee's home and asked her advice about what I was feeling. She alluded to the time she told me God's Hand was on my life. I shared with her that I thought she just said that to everyone. She told me that the message she shared was very specific for me. It was at that moment that everything made sense to me. God had used her to share the gospel with me and now God was using her to help me realize God was calling me. After that discussion, continued prayer, and seeking God's Word, I surrendered to the ministry. The rest is history.
She wasn't my mother, but she was a significant person who God used to encourage me to follow God. She was a Godly woman and God used her to impact my life to this day. Never a mother, but always a Godly example of encouragement to me and many others. She is part of a long line of Godly Women who have impacted the kingdom in one way or the other. And throughout history somewhere along the way any success we have is directly connected to a Godly woman. Another Godly woman who made an impact on her world was Esther. Esther not only followed God, but her faithfulness to the task and God's faithfulness to use her impacted a whole nation. Esther 4:12-14 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" She saw her significance and accepted the responsibility of taking a stand at the right time and the right place. The rest is also history. We need more Esthers and more Audrey Lee Stone's in our world, and I hope women everywhere will realize their significance in God's Great Plan.
The last Godly woman I want to share about is my wife, Andra. She is a shining example of how God can use someone to impact her family and impact her world. She is a Godly woman who lives her life out of a deep love for God on the inside. Her outside is beautiful, but her inside is God-Centered. I love the Hillsong Song entitled, From the Inside Out, because the kind of woman God uses is one who is healthy on the inside. That produces a glow or beauty that attracts others to that part of God they see in her. Proverbs 31:30 says, Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. We may judge a woman by her outside beauty, but God judges her by the beauty she has inside. That is the kind of beauty that makes a Godly woman. There will be no need for any self esteem fixes for a woman who is secure with who she is in on the inside. So, Happy Godly Women's Day. They should be highly esteemed and treated with great respect. You never know what life they will guide to God next. It could be you. Happy Mother's Day for all you mothers, and Happy Godly Women's Day for all you sold out ladies of the Lord.
The Pilgrimage continues....
David Warren
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