This post originally appeared on The Junia Project on September 23, 2013: juniaproject.com/i-am-a-woman.
I am a woman
I am not a sex object
I am not an afterthought
I am not a toy
I am a woman
I am strong
I am intelligent
I am more than capable
I am a woman
I bear the image of the Creator
I reflect His strength, His dignity, and His compassion
When the Bible teaches “with God all things are possible,” it applies to me
I am a woman
You can tell me that I am not valuable, beautiful, or ideal
You can say that I will not or should not succeed
You can tell me what characteristics I should or should not possess
But my worth is not found in what you think of me
I am a woman
The world tells me what I should look like,
how I should dress, and what I should eat
Some in the Church tell me what I should want, how I should serve,
and what I should or should not say
but I am a woman
My spiritual heritage is founded on a Savior
who ushered in an upside down kingdom
Christ’s resurrection is not limited to your redemption; it covers mine as well
I am a woman
I come from a line of godly women who led the army of Israel to victory,
saved God’s people from genocide, defied convention to sit at Christ’s feet,
and birthed the Savior of the world
I am a woman
Throughout history I have explored new worlds,
freed slaves, and inspired nations
You may say that I am weak, that I am subject,
and that I am acting out of my place
But your words fall short when faced with God’s truth
I am a woman
I am called to make disciples, to preach the good news of the resurrection,
and to have dominion over the earth
I am a woman
God did not give me a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind
I am a woman
I am God’s woman, and I will remain faithful to the end
