When Mitch and I started dating, I was crazily inspired by the woman in Proverbs 31. I read her story and I longed to become like her because she seems to have everything in order. Most importantly — she is godly. She has inspired me to become a woman of God who serves and uses her gifts to bless others. I have usually pictured her in my imagination as always looking presentable, cooking the most delicious meals, and always saying the RIGHT thing. I imagine that people would use #familygoals to describe her family on social media. Basically, to me, she is 100% selfless, confident, loving and generous. I can keep going but I think you get the idea.
However, there is also another kind of woman that I want to be — an ambitious woman. I have always dreamed of having my own business one day. I like to start something and be creative in what I do. But wait…is this selfish? Is this woman I want to be contradicting the woman described in Proverbs 31? Can they exist at the same time? For the longest time, I was feeling the need to choose one or the other. There are so many moments in my life when I need to stop and check my motives. Am I blogging for my career and personal growth or am I actually wanting to use my words to encourage others? The answer is both. Yes, my initial motivation to start a blog is to encourage women to overcome their fear and insecurity in order to walk in faith and grow their relationship with God, and this is still my #1 goal for sure. But I also know that God has been stirring this little passion in my heart to the next level by changing my perspectives and opening up opportunities that I didn’t even dare to pray for. God has definitely proven that He cares about details and practicality too.
In a conflicting moment like this, God asked me to read Proverbs 31 again. But this time, I read it carefully. One thing that stood out to me was in verse 17, where it says “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her task. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.” Guys…the woman in Proverbs 31 IS A BOSS LADY! And the passage goes on and describes how she also opens her arms to the poor, extends her hands to the needy and fears the Lord. These verses are intended to inspire us to desire her fear of the Lord and her trust in His power and goodness. If the Proverbs 31 woman only makes us feel guilty or inadequate, chances are we misunderstand the way God designed her. The tension here is not to choose between two kinds of women; God has given us the freedom to be both. These days, I have become a better learner. I no longer feel jealous of what others have already achieved and what I have not. I give myself grace and patience, trusting that God is taking care of any possible outcome, not me. He is a good God who wants us to be blessed and to bless others as we live our lives aligned with His heart.
Lastly, I want to encourage you all dreamers out there. Ask God to search your heart. Tell him what you are passionate about. He loves to hear what is in your heart.
Also, I am so excited to announce that I have collaborated with Aligned Blessings. Their mission is to bring authentic pieces that are trendy and serve as excellent conversation starters to help us share our testimony with the world. They have t-shirts and so many fun accessories. A portion of every sale will get donated to International Christian Adoption. And because they are super kind, they’d like to offer you a 15% off your entire order with a code Cynthis15. (You can use it more than once) plus free shipping worldwide. Talk about easy Christmas shopping!! AND a way to give back and provide a home for a child. Happy shopping!!!
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