To many outside of the Church, Christianity represents some kind of oppressive, anti-female, pro-male culture. I would have to say that, if that were true, I would probably have walked away from Christianity a long time ago. My personal experience with Jesus has been something quite different from what feminists would have you believe. I believe the Apostle Paul when he wrote the Galatians:
“…for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Last Wednesday, I wrote a post on the topic of women in ministry, which was the first in a 3-part series. I presented the three (or so) different schools of thought on the subject. I was curious to see what opinion you all hold on the subject, as well. It was a mixed crowd, however most of you identified yourselves as moderates. Today’s post, Women in Ministry Part 2 answers the question:
The role of women in ministry within the church can be a touchy subject. People start asking questions like, “Can women teach men?” or “Can women be head pastors?” To be honest , I never spent too much time thinking abut it. I knew what I felt about the subject, but had never gone beyond that. I hadn’t examined the scriptures, for example, or prayed to see where perhaps God was leading me on the subject. Until recently…
I am currently enrolled in a Women in Leadership Development course (that’s right, it’s W.I.L.D.). It is 2 year program designed to encourage, train, and raise up female Christian leaders. A few weeks ago we heard a lecture on “women in ministry”. I realized then, how much of a divisive issue this truly is. Today’s post is part one of a three part series, discussing women and their role in ministry. Since today is Wednesday–and that means it is He Said/She Said day, where I write about all things related to men, women, or both–I thought I’d talk about this somewhat controversial issue… cause that’s how I roll…Continue reading Women in Minstry, Part 1 of 3
Do you remember when you first heard the word “blog’? I can vaguely remember. Someone was discussing politics (one of my favorite pastimes) and I kept hearing them refer to a particular blog. I didn’t want to ask. I had heard the word before but I wasn’t sure what a “blog” actually was. Weeks later, I started hearing words like “blogosphere”. It was all very confusing.
Here I am, years later, with a blog of my own. I started Modern Reject reluctantly, but now I am fully invested. I love writing here every day and having conversations with all of you.
For those of you who might be new around here, every Friday I share my Favorite Things, which can really be anything that floats my boat. Since Modern Reject just launched with its sleek and pretty new design just last week, I thought, in honor of my new blog design, I would share my Favorite (Blog) Things. This list includes blogs I love to read, blogs I admire, blogging inspiration, and more. I hope you enjoy and, if you aren’t already blogging, maybe after reading this you will change your mind… Continue reading Favorite (Blog) Things
Any good drug worth consuming has side effects. You’ve seen the commercials for a particular pharmaceutical: may cause ulcers, fatigue, dizziness, bleeding gums…
Sounds tempting, eh? Suddenly, to lower your cholesterol, you are potentially adding a bevy of new symptoms to your list. To get rid of one health concern you have to be willing to take on twelve more.
The world is very much the same way. The overwhelming temptations that the world offers us are on par with any drug. You take it down in the hopes of it relieving one symptom–be it loneliness, depression, or inadequacy–only to find that while one may gain temporary relief, you also begin to experience the painful side effects of the world.
The world is a drug, Christ however is the remedy. We can swallow down the world’s drug or choose Christ as our cure. Both, however, carry significant side effects: Continue reading The World is a Drug
Over the past three days, I have been in Atlanta surrounded by thousands of other believers experiencing everything from acrobatic stunts, to the filming of a Dorito commercial, to hearing powerhouse speakers, and glorious worship. I have been at the Catalyst Conference. But calling Catalyst a conference is an understatement. According to them:
“Catalyst is way beyond a conference – it’s a powerful convergence of next generation leaders. It’s a fully immersive learning, worship, and creative experience loaded with the high-octane energy of thousands of like-minded leaders gathered together to exert influence in our generation. And once you’ve been exposed, you’ll call it what we call it – pure leadership adrenaline.”
I was immersed alright and had an experience I will never forget. I hope to come back for many years but in the meantime, here are my Favorite (Catalyst) Things:Continue reading Favorite (Catalyst) Things Friday
Hooray! The day has finally arrived. Here is the glorious and splenderific new Modern Reject design. Feast your eyes on her beauty. I’m a proud momma, can’t you tell?
Most everything you have come to know and love on Modern Reject is still the same, just shinier and prettier. The new design has you, my wonderful reader in mind, making navigation easier and faster. Now, I’m still working on transferring over all my old content from Tumblr, but once it’s here, to the right you will find your favorite Modern Reject features, which includes all of my regular posts like He Said/She Said, Favorite Things Friday, Lists, and other goodies I write about regularly.
I love a good makeover and makeover movies are the best–Pretty Woman, Clueless, My Fair Lady (is it weird that I have a 1960s movie listed alongside a movie about a prostitute?)… you get the point. I’m a chick and, well, most chicks love a good makeover.
Before I lose the guys reading, let me ask you this… have you ever had a chick try and make you over? I’m sure you have. You see, women do so many times unknowingly. We simply see a “project” and think to ourselves… “Oh he’d be so cute with a haircut and new shirt… oh, and maybe a tan and some Crest Whitestrips.”
But, why are women so prone to trying to makeover a man?
Last Wednesday on He Said/She Said I posed the question: What makes a man worthy of marriage? A lot of you weighed in on the subject, mostly men in fact. I determined that in order for a man to be worthy, he has to actually be a man. Then I listed three qualities that I think make a man a man, man (I love those Old Spice commercials, sorry). This week the question goes out to all the ladies:
What makes a woman worthy of marriage? Is it her good looks? Oh, I sure hope not. Is it her mothering skills? The way she cooks, cleans, or says “Yes, honey”? If so then I am in trouble.
I was mulling over this question. It seemed so much harder for me to answer. I was talking over the topic with my husband and he said this:
Just like men need to be men in order to be worthy of marriage women need to not be men, to be worthy of marriage.
We have all heard the saying: A good man is hard to find. This phrase is sad, but true. A good man is hard to find.
Good woman aren’t much easier to find. It seems that many young men and women today grow up to be anything but. Long gone are the days of men acting like men and women behaving like women. The values that once helped shape a young person into a admirable adult are no longer taught or even acknowledged, values like: honesty, integrity, courage, honor, responsibility, and respect.
Today, culture values values individualism, self-reliance, wealth and material success, education, and a cut-throat drive. In a world teeming with self-absorbed, self-focused individuals it is difficult to find people to befriend let alone marry. And if you are a woman looking to be married, it can be as I said before “hard to find a good man.”
So where do you look to find such a man? Once you have found him how do you evaluate whether or not he is marriage material? What makes a man worthy of marriage?Continue reading What Makes a Man Worthy of Marriage?
I am a product of the self-esteem movement. Thank goodness my parents didn’t buy into the idea wholeheartedly. Children born in the 70’s and 80’s were raised based on the idea that building self-esteem is a critical component to raising well-adjusted children. There was a belief among parents that self-esteem was an extrinsic quality and needed to be fostered by parents themselves.
Kids were spoon-fed lies like, “You can be anything,” and “You can do it all.” Why were they told this? Because their parents bought the lie too, that building a child’s self-esteem is critical to raising an emotional healthy child. Problem is, it’s not.
In fact, the Gospel of Self-Esteem is dangerous.
In the wake of liberalism and political correctness, more and more parents are latching on to the notion of self-esteem. It has now expanded into schools and children’s sports, as well. In Ottawa, Canada a rule has been established by the local soccer league stating that a team cannot win by more than 5 goals. That’s right. If they score a sixth goal, they lose. In an attempt to make the losing children feel better about the fact that they lost, they have created “a non-competitive environment.” Swell, sounds like fun. Why bother playing?
Those who grew up swimming in the sea of the self-esteem movement were slapped in the face when the reality hit that not everyone is going to give you accolades or pats on the back. They very quickly realized that you don’t necessarily deserve praise just for showing up. You earn a reward when you perform well.
Your boss will not always throw you a “Job well done, Captain,” or an “Atta boy.” People expect responsibility and performance from adults. Go figure. There are certain things expected of us in life and there are other things for which we must strive. Confusing the two creates children—and then adults—who are underachievers and yet “over-expecters”. They have accomplished little, yet expect to receive the same kind of reward and recognition as those who have done much.
Now that I am a parent, I caution myself in praising too much or praising the wrong things. I try to avoid verbally praising my children for things that I expect them to do, like sit at the dinner table and eat dinner, or pick up their toys, or be kind to one another. That’s not to say that I don’t recognize those things, however. I give lots of “pleases” and “thank you’s”. I will say to my daughter for instance, “Did you know it pleases God when you are kind to your brother? Thank you for being kind to him today.”
I am certainly still figuring out the balance between praising my children and giving them unnecessary compliments. I am attempting to let the Lord lead me in this area as I listen for his instruction.
One thing the Lord has showed me is that children, do not in fact, gain self-esteem because someone lavished verbal praise upon them. Rather, self-esteem and self-efficacy develop from discipline, healthy boundaries, and in knowing the person of Jesus. God says we are valuable and worthwhile. He says we are treasured and can be adopted into His family through Christ.
God doesn’t place any emphasis on self-esteem. He places emphasis on knowing Him and letting Him know us. That’s not to say though that we can skip out on hard work or the effort needed to achieve something. God is a rewarder and He also created work for us to do. Yet, we find our significance and worth in and through Him. A “job well done” will never compare to a “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Are you a proponent or opponent of the self-esteem movement? How, if at all, has God encouraged your “self-esteem”? What is a good way to encourage and motivate others others?
