EMBRACING WOMANHOOD

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a woman in the last few months as I had attended an event for women aged 18/30 and the theme was a woman defined.

As I thought of what it means to be a woman in the run-up to the event, it dawned on me that I have not always embraced being a woman or appreciated been a woman. Growing up in Nigeria and seeing how it seemed the scales were tipped in favour of men in terms of the environment and the configuration of society, in my young mind I had subconsciously absorbed and observed that to be a woman was to be in the minority and to be a woman was to be weak, so I had made up my mind that I will be tough and strong and will not allow anyone especially a man to take advantage of me.

My Story
As I started learning and living out my Christian faith I began to see that man’s failings could not alter Gods original plan, creating men and women to complement each other. It is not right to tarnish the whole of manhood for the failings of a few men. I have wonderful men in my life who celebrate women and appreciate the gift that women are. God’s desire is that men and women showcase the true meaning of diversity, different yet equal, different but complementary, different yet united, different but equally valuable.

When I began to catch a glimpse of Gods view of being a womanhood in my 30s I began to see that it is important that a woman embraces her womanhood, I have been made a woman by divine design. I let go of my faulty paradigm that just because society can treat women in a negative way does not mean I am less valuable. My value is derived from God the ultimate creator, if he has made me female and not male he must know what He is doing. I began a journey in my 30s of accepting the gift of womanhood, as a woman I am a gift to my generation and women are gifts to the world just as much as men are and rather than trying to deny or reject the traits that make me a woman, embracing it actually allows me to bring my unique gifts and traits to the world, a world that is need of our unique femininity.

A change in my worldview through an alignment with God’s view has led to significant joy, fulfilment and contentment than I could have ever imagined. I am comfortable with being a woman in different settings that I have found myself in and I realise that the gift of my womanhood is exactly what is required in these settings. The best gift a woman can give herself is to embrace her uniqueness and femininity.

If you are a woman and struggling with being a woman as a result of your experiences and can only see only the negative things that come along with being a woman, I urge you to consider God’s love and thoughts towards you, your gender is not a mistake, God made you a woman in His infinite wisdom, you are wonderfully and beautifully made. The limitations and failings of some men and society do not stop Gods original plan, women are valuable and equal to men.

Let us embrace our womanhood and our brothers, together as male and female we are called to reflect His Glory. Let us focus on what we have in common rather than our differences. The world is waiting for a united family. The enemy is seeking to steal the joy of relationships between the sexes and destroy it so that God’s original intention is not realised. Let us be builders of godly relationships with our brothers.