Power in Women
Women are not marginalized in the Kingdom of God. People may trivialize women and their roles, but God has given women great power, distinct from the power He gives to men, but incomprehensibly grand. What are your experiences with women’s roles? What does God tell you about them?
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First, though, it's a complicated topic! The roles of men and women in my church have troubled me and a lot of my friends, including my husband. So I want to say foremost that what I'm going to share is very personal and it's NOT the final answer. In fact, it’s my BEGINNING answer. It’s insufficient on it’s own, but it’s the start of wonder at God’s goodness. I hope years of learning and growth will follow.
When God healed me, on September 1st of 2017, He healed me in three ways. First, He healed my spirit. That alone was incredible! He healed spiritual wounds in me that, among other things, had caused physical illness. Next He healed my body. And that was amazing! He healed years of damage, cleaned it right out. Then, the third part... I don't even know how to classify it, but maybe I can say He healed a piece of my feminine identity.
It’s that third, difficult to classify part, that I’m sharing about today. I’m excited to share it, especially because I thought I never would, but I’m also not going to share all of it. It’s quite personal. The piece that I will share is that I understood that because I am a daughter, He has given me part of His power
I’m going to repeat that first part, because it astounds me. Because I am a daughter — that's it! That’s the whole qualifier.
Because I am a daughter, He has given me part of his power. It is His creative power, the power He uses to create worlds without end. He has given a piece of that to me! It's in me. I get it, and every woman in this world gets it, -- the power to create.
He has also given a piece of his power to men, -- the power of the priesthood.
As I say these words I want to mourn a little inside. It’s so easy for people in our world to trivialize what I’m saying! One can trivialize the power of women by reducing it to, "Oh, yeah, women can have babies." Likewise, one can trivialize the priesthood power of men by saying, "Men run the church.” In both cases, you can take huge power, a piece of God's infinite power, and you can portray it as a stick figure. You can belittle it and trivialize it. But it is so much more than that.
That day God healed me, I glimpsed that creative power that's inside of me. It is magnificent and glorious. The same way the priesthood power is magnificent and glorious. Do not trivialize it! Do not reduce it to a uterus and pregnancy. When we make it into something little, it has a little effect in our lives. Alternatively, we can magnify it, explore it, get curious about God’s love and gifts to His daughters. We can come close to God and connect with Him and that power will grow.
My testimony is that women are not at all marginalized in the Kingdom of God. Often, we, as people, marginalize women. We trivialize women’s roles and turn their power into a black-and-white stick figure. But it's not. It's fabulous, real, 3-D, full-spectrum color! It's beautiful, glorious, magnificent creative power of God. We have a power different but just as grand and glorious as men in God's kingdom. I know that and I have glimpsed it.
Oh, let me tell you… when I glimpsed that power that He gave me, and then when I realized that He gave it to me just because I'm a daughter, not through any other merit, I cried with joy! I felt five years old, discovering the biggest, most unexpected, impossible Christmas present. The one I’d not even allowed myself to ask for, yet there it was, INSIDE ME! I felt overcome with God's love for me as His child and His generosity in sharing everything He has with me. With me! Little toddler-god me! Who can believe it.
My question for you, and I really want you to share with me, if you will, in the comments or via email if you don't feel ready for public. Share with me your experiences with women's roles in church. Good and bad. Your insights and your struggles. And, if you’re ready, what does God say about those experiences?
Above all, keep shining!
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Video transcript (edited):
Yesterday at church my son, for the first time, asked about men's and women's roles. He wanted to know why women weren’t helping with the ordinance of the sacrament, the bread and the water. In our church that is something that men do with the power of the Aaronic Priesthood, which only men hold. The topic is still on my mind this morning, and I want to share some of my thoughts, feelings, and experience with you.First, though, it's a complicated topic! The roles of men and women in my church have troubled me and a lot of my friends, including my husband. So I want to say foremost that what I'm going to share is very personal and it's NOT the final answer. In fact, it’s my BEGINNING answer. It’s insufficient on it’s own, but it’s the start of wonder at God’s goodness. I hope years of learning and growth will follow.
When God healed me, on September 1st of 2017, He healed me in three ways. First, He healed my spirit. That alone was incredible! He healed spiritual wounds in me that, among other things, had caused physical illness. Next He healed my body. And that was amazing! He healed years of damage, cleaned it right out. Then, the third part... I don't even know how to classify it, but maybe I can say He healed a piece of my feminine identity.
It’s that third, difficult to classify part, that I’m sharing about today. I’m excited to share it, especially because I thought I never would, but I’m also not going to share all of it. It’s quite personal. The piece that I will share is that I understood that because I am a daughter, He has given me part of His power
I’m going to repeat that first part, because it astounds me. Because I am a daughter — that's it! That’s the whole qualifier.
Because I am a daughter, He has given me part of his power. It is His creative power, the power He uses to create worlds without end. He has given a piece of that to me! It's in me. I get it, and every woman in this world gets it, -- the power to create.
He has also given a piece of his power to men, -- the power of the priesthood.
As I say these words I want to mourn a little inside. It’s so easy for people in our world to trivialize what I’m saying! One can trivialize the power of women by reducing it to, "Oh, yeah, women can have babies." Likewise, one can trivialize the priesthood power of men by saying, "Men run the church.” In both cases, you can take huge power, a piece of God's infinite power, and you can portray it as a stick figure. You can belittle it and trivialize it. But it is so much more than that.
That day God healed me, I glimpsed that creative power that's inside of me. It is magnificent and glorious. The same way the priesthood power is magnificent and glorious. Do not trivialize it! Do not reduce it to a uterus and pregnancy. When we make it into something little, it has a little effect in our lives. Alternatively, we can magnify it, explore it, get curious about God’s love and gifts to His daughters. We can come close to God and connect with Him and that power will grow.
My testimony is that women are not at all marginalized in the Kingdom of God. Often, we, as people, marginalize women. We trivialize women’s roles and turn their power into a black-and-white stick figure. But it's not. It's fabulous, real, 3-D, full-spectrum color! It's beautiful, glorious, magnificent creative power of God. We have a power different but just as grand and glorious as men in God's kingdom. I know that and I have glimpsed it.
Oh, let me tell you… when I glimpsed that power that He gave me, and then when I realized that He gave it to me just because I'm a daughter, not through any other merit, I cried with joy! I felt five years old, discovering the biggest, most unexpected, impossible Christmas present. The one I’d not even allowed myself to ask for, yet there it was, INSIDE ME! I felt overcome with God's love for me as His child and His generosity in sharing everything He has with me. With me! Little toddler-god me! Who can believe it.
My question for you, and I really want you to share with me, if you will, in the comments or via email if you don't feel ready for public. Share with me your experiences with women's roles in church. Good and bad. Your insights and your struggles. And, if you’re ready, what does God say about those experiences?
Above all, keep shining!
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