Troubled Waters

  “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

  We’ve started a new series at church entitled “Her Story.” It is an investigation into Jesus, women and the church. It is available on The Meeting House website. It is a wonderful partner to the Proverbs study just finished so I will select my post topic from Sunday’s scripture selection to delve deeper into them.

  The opening always begins with a selection of quotes from brilliant, faith filled people throughout the ages. It’s wonderful they are also chosen from people who practice a variety of faiths. Wisdom isn’t religious.

  We were cautioned not to get our feathers ruffled at the anti-female sentiment many of these great teachers have penned. The part that ruffled my feathers was that many of them echoed my own sentiments and attitudes towards women. Men have subjugated women for a long time but, my friends, women do it, too.

  We can only teach our daughters what we know.

  I know a lot of wrong things. Worse, I believe them.

  But our mind is a flexible thing. Praise God!

  “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13

  So it’s time to let in truth and let go of the judgments, the generalizations, the prejudicial way of thinking that men are superior. It’s time to release the idea that, due to gender, men are more deserving and therefore do not need to be accountable for their actions.

  (Pause.)

  That last one…there’s a lot of pain wrapped up in those few words. Forgive me, Lord, for believing something that negated my ability to set boundaries; that opened the gateway to the subjugation and abuse that has taken me so long to be free of.

  There are still ghosts. But I feel they are tied directly into where my thoughts don’t line up with Jesus’ teaching.

  There are areas where forgiveness has not wrapped its healing balm.

  So here’s the thing, Lord, can You help me forgive myself for the actions and choices I made that perpetrated the lies that women are worth less?