Voices of the True Woman Movement: Part One

I believe some of you may be wondering why it has taken me so long to write the next installment of this book review. According to the timeline I provided you on June 3rd, I should have written this section by June 17th. However, here we are nearly a month after that self-imposed deadline and I am only just now writing this post.

June was a difficult month for me. My grandfather passed away and I had to return to Virginia for his funeral. Death is never easy for those left to live. I did much to occupy myself last month and did not feel inclined to read much of anything, to include Voices of the True Woman Movement. I tried to exist in my own strength for a time, but it can never last. In fact, as I picked up the book to read part one, the first two chapters told me that. It is a shame I did not read it sooner.

Part One contains the Foundations of True Womanhood. The contributors are John Piper and Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Their objective: to help women look at themselves rightly.

What do I mean by that, look at themselves rightly?

Well, our culture (particularly Western culture) tells us that everything is relative and the world should be interpreted through our own eyes as our experiences make our perspectives unique. My world may not look like your world, so if I view womanhood differently it is because it is different in my world. This is an inaccurate view.

We try to see who God is through the lens of ourselves, but we are going about it backwards. We need to see who we are through the lens of God! John Piper believes that when our worldview is self-centered, it results in wimpy theology. Piper is not a fan of wimpy theology and his belief is that wimpy theology leads to wimpy women. I agree with him. The Bible tells us time and again that our strength comes from God. If we look to ourselves for the source of our strength, we will indeed be a wimpy people. My strength fails me constantly. There is little I can do on my own, though I am often deluded to believe otherwise.

So how are we to understand who we are in God? Nancy Leigh DeMoss used a scripture that I believe is most helpful:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

In her chapter, DeMoss breaks down each part of this verse. It tells us a lot about who God is and conversely who we are. God is in control, we are not. God is limitless, we are limited. There is nothing God cannot know and our minds are finite, able only to scratch the surface of things. She quotes John Piper in regards to the contrast between God and man: “In every situation and circumstance of your life, God is always doing a thousand different things that you cannot see and you do not know.”

To begin to look at what it means to be a woman of God means to begin to look at God first. Our foundation is in Him and through Him we will find our purpose.

Please join me in a week to learn about Part Two, The Battle for True Womanhood.