THE MEASURE OF A GREAT WOMAN: Part One - Her Character!

Who can find a virtuous woman?
For her price is far above rubies (Prov. 31:10)

March is traditionally National Women's History Month.  A time women of all colors, creeds, and backgrounds are celebrated globally for their achievements and contributions to society.  In other words, women who make this world better! This year the focus is on women in public service and government.  Good on you, I say!  Congratulations and Kudos for all your accomplishments!

But I'd like to turn our thoughts a bit deeper than the activism,  advocacy, and pioneering spirit that have inspired so many to levels of greatness in the public eye.  I want to ask this simple question of you, my readers:  HOW DO YOU MEASURE A GREAT WOMAN?

How do you measure her worth, true beauty, the essence of her total being.  I'm in somewhat of a quandary you see.  As a woman of a certain age with adult children and grandchildren, this suddenly struck me... if I'm confused, I can only wonder about the rest of you who are  much younger.

So of course, I went to the Source of all wisdom, the words of the Ancient  of Ancients, the Standard by which all things must be measured...The Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).  The first thing I found that inspired me to strive for greatness in my womanhood was ....Character,.  I want to be a woman of integrity!  I  love the way June Hunt, Bible Counselor and host of the radio program, Hope For The Heart, puts it:  "Integrity means being the same in the dark as you are in the light."

Living presently in a Post Modern society, true integrity is hard to spot. Truth as we have witnessed is relative to an individual's own insight, experiences, or beliefs. Yet a semblance of integrity still exists...it's just perverted. Like almost everything else in our world there is perverted morality, perverted justice, and a perverted governing system.  It is most assuredly a deviation from the Standard of God just mentioned. 

Character that makes a woman great is presented to us in God's Word in three areas: Our Mind, Body, and Spirit! This encompasses our total being! Let me show you how:

<<>>MENTAL CHARACTER   (My Thought Life) - What's on your mind constantly? Self, Success, Social acceptance, Finances, etc.  Prov. 23:7 says what a woman thinks in her heart, she becomes. (paraphrase) Our thoughts activate that which is in our hearts.  Our heart reveals what we believe about ourselves and if both are flawed bad behavior is not far behind. (Matt. 12:34).  You didn't become power hungry, an approval addict, or financially insecure overnight.  These thoughts have been bouncing around in your head for years, with often devastating results. To assure that we are on our game mentally, we have to bring, every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)  So Get rid of that Stinking, Thinking Habit!

<<>>SEXUAL CHARACTER  (Respecting Covenant Relations) - Believe it or not,  sexual character has less to do with the sexual act than it does sexual attitude! I think we can all agree that our world is overly sexualized.  Blatant or subliminally it is everywhere and generally not  portrayed the way God designed it (Gen. 1:27-28).  I surmise that many who engage in sexual relations do so, not for the physical benefits of genital stimulation but for the desire for intimacy. People want to feel close, connected, in an unique and significant way with someone.

That desire in and of itself is not sinful.  The timing (before marriage), the individual (any one outside of the marital covenant, and lack of mutual respect and honor for each other is the defining difference. (I Cor. 7:2-5).  Pornography, Erotica, Sexting, Phone Sex and the likes all violate the sexual character of women.  "In our relationships with each other we model the community of the Trinity." (a quote from a book by Marva Dawn, Sexual Character, Beyond Technique to Intimacy).  Respecting the boundaries of the marital relations and equating such with the Worship of God (the Ultimate covenant relationship) forces a change in our attitude about sex period! 

<<>>SPIRITUAL CHARACTER (Our Treatment of Others) - God is honored by our lives as we relate to others in a spiritual way!  This can be summed up with one verse of scripture: 

8 

 O people, the Lord has told you what is good,

    and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right, to love mercy,

    and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NLT)

1.  Do what is honest, Do what is fair -simply put Do the Right Thing!

2.   Be generous in spirit, take the high road in every situation. Be kind, and trustworthy

3. Take responsibility for your own actions, not blaming circumstances or others for your mistakes but learning from them. Thinking no higher of yourself than you ought but holding
firm to godly esteem in Christ.

Now,  Let Me hear from you:  HOW DO YOU MEASURE A GREAT WOMAN?


UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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