It’s proving to be quite a daunting task for a single, independent, born again Christian woman to live in an “I-don’t-need-a-man-to-make-it-happen” society.
Graduating from varsity came with a new sense of empowerment. Getting my own car added to that, and finding a really good job, put the cherry on top of the cake. I imagine that this is exactly what my parents envisioned when they instructed me to be independent. But when you really believe in God-ordained love, carrying this tool box of self-empowerment could be toxic to what you decide to do next.
I never found the process of gaining my independence problematic. However, what was really disturbing to me was that it had the potential of becoming self-consuming and damaging to who I truly am: A child of God.
As a child of God, I am never truly independent. I need Him; I desperately need Him. He needs to help me guard my heart against the pride of my successes, to keep me from becoming arrogant. I need Him to grant me the strength to go to work every day to accumulate wealth. I need Him to guide my decisions, because when I place my choices in my own hands, my life is in such a vulnerable place. I need Him because although I am single now, I won’t always be. So I need Him to help me be someone’s wife. The training starts now. Still, I can be single and powerfully so! It’s a fantastic freedom and it’s an ideal opportunity to do your best for God.
What will you have left after you have done all you can to empower yourself? Who will you pay homage to for your success? Who will you share it with?
God can do so much more with our lives, hearts, and futures when we leave it in His hands. You may have planned to live a life of independence, where it’s really just you, but when last have you stopped and asked Him what He prefers for you?
I want to be a strong independent woman, yet soft enough to submit to God’s voice, gentle enough to let Him take the lead, and humble enough to appreciate and acknowledge the importance of those around me – even when I don’t have an immediate need that requires the presence.
I am a child of God.