In all honesty, when it comes to womanhood and a lot of other things, the world got it twisted! I’m not going to get all fancy with it, it’s the raw truth, take it or leave it. It’s the truth whether you believe it or not. Womanhood is dead! Let’s be real: a women’s worth in this world has been reduce from its true value. Even though throughout the years women have tried to change it, it seems like it is getting worst. After the whole “Slutwalk” that took place around Canada recently (http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/05/28/slutwalk-feminists-take-to-the-streets-to-reclaim-slut-in-style/) I ask myself: is this what the world thinks of women? Better yet, is this what women think of themselves?

Let’s not walk away being discouraged. There’s a revolution of women who don’t compromise their values. They don’t follow what’s popular, they go against it. They fight for what’s right, they go against all odds. So who are these fighters? These rebels? These revolutionary women? Some call them Proverbs 31 ladies, others call them dime pieces because they live out of ten but they’re just women of God, living for Him. Why do this? Why don’t they just follow the world? Because they’re saved by grace, have been transformed and are new creatures in Christ. Honestly I’ll sum it up how Leah Smith told me: “You not going to get it, unless you’re in Christ.”

Like many things, being a woman of God is easier said than done. Especially in today’s society, women have compromised their values so much that sadly it comes to the point that they have none. Let’s face it, it’s a world of sin: sinful things are seen as okay and are prompted everywhere. It has become right to do wrong and unheard of to do right. One of the hardest things is to take that stand and do right when everyone around you is pushing the opposite. That’s how Godly women get caught up, we live in the world as women and see these views of womanhood. Sometimes it’s easy to roll with the flow…

“Instead of taking a stand, we fall right into place.” – Butta P

They tell us to be beautiful, but how do you measure beauty? Today it’s all about image: having that swag, looking fresh, dressing to impress. We go through these extremes to measure up to this image. The recent story about the girl, days away from her twenty-first birthday, who died during a butt injection operation (see here) or the story about the 8 year old girl getting Botox (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mom-year-daughter-botox-young-young/story?id=13580804) makes you wonder “how far is this really going to go?” From all kinds of surgeries and diets, some of these young girls are killing themselves because they don’t look like that girl in the magazine.

“Not being the American Standard of beauty…..it could really crush you if you don’t have a sense of self” – Mahogany Jones

It’s getting out of hand, the pressures that a young girl faces to live up to this picture. As if she is a mannequin, she is bombarded by comments and pictures that she would give up her own unique features that she is it born with, just to blend in. We glorify image so much in society that it’s to die for….literally. They tell us be like this, they tell us be like that and we go through all theses lengths to look like that figure. But is that really beauty? Read Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” The world praises a false image and tries to live up to it.

“Women live their whole life not having any sort of worth because it’s pretty impossible to be that image on TV.” – Heesun Lee

The difference in a Christian is we KNOW we are beautify and wonderfully made. We are made in the likeness of the Creator. And if you don’t know… now you know.

“Carrying the image of the Lord is beauty”- Leah Smith

They tell us to have the feminist mentality, “If you’re a woman, prove it. Make a place for yourself. Don’t be limited. You can do anything better than a man.” As I said in the intro, it’s like a competition. We’re supposed to go head to head with a man for the rest of our lives just to prove that we’re better and not less than a man. Let’s get this straight, God made us equal, both men and women, we just have different roles, equally significant though. Nowadays the role of a woman is so degraded, corrupted and tainted that woman basically don’t know their role. The Bible makes it clear what our roles are, yet the world says it’s the old fashion way. Submitting to your husband (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18), woman don’t know how to, and they simply don’t want to. One of the biggest characteristic woman lacks these days is humility. We encouraged pride, seems like we forgot Proverb 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction.” Heesun explained to me the reason why. “We want to prove a point, we’re emotional. We feel like we have to prove ourselves but what God says in the verse is it’s not that we’re less important, we just have a role to play. God gives your worth from day one, it’s not less important than a man’s.” We have to remember that. We don’t need to prove ourselves; God gave you your worth from the beginning! Another verse that’s been taking out of context Timothy 2:15; “But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” A lot of women think this is like the Stone Ages, but really it’s not, it’s much more. A women’s role is to raise their children and it’s actually a very important one. Mahogany Jones describes it as a responsibly “Women don’t take their responsibility seriously, we have the reasonability of shaping the nation!” The problems in society are because of bad parenting, it’s a domino effect. Man and woman are to blame! Okay so these are some of the roles for a married woman, what about the single ladies? It’s simple ,yet the most difficultness thing: keep yourself pure! Purity is one of the greatest gifts you been given, so cherish it! Butta P reminded me of something else so important to remember as a young Christian woman:

“Don’t be mislead by the conception of what being a woman is.”

So either women go on this whole power trip or they just lack confidence. Why the extremeness? Look at the media; women are portrayed as these sex objects, they’re exploited. The world makes us feel like that’s all we’re good for. It’s promoted all around us. Butta P spoke about what it has come to. “You got men in music calling us all kinds of names, you got women calling themselves all kinds of names, so it’s unfortunate.” Ladies need to know that we’re worth more than that. Media will always be there, but we have to focus on Christ.

“You’re here because God brought you here for a purpose. Focus on getting to know Him. Start living out that plan and that potential.”- Mahogany Jones

Then there’s this whole idea about being with a man makes you a woman. Look at the things girls do to get guys. Ever ask yourself why we go through so much trouble just to get a guy? It could be your lonely and you just want companionship, there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes girls have this idea that if they just get a boyfriend or husband they’ll be complete, as if their identity is in a man. If you don’t know who you are without a man, you still won’t know with one. That’s something you find out on your own. As a Christian that should be automatic: our identity is in Christ! So why are Christian women caught up in this? Some word of wisdom on this issue came from 22 year old Leah Smith who can relate, “I’ve desired something that’s not here right now but I’ve learned to trust in God, that he would bring that relationship.” Women of God aren’t perfect. We go through the same struggles like every other woman. We are pressured by the same things. So what’s the difference?

“We’re going to go through situations in our lives but we’re going to come out of it still standing victorious.” – Butta P

So what is womanhood?

Being a young woman I been recently trying to figure it out. I remember Mahogany telling me in everything she does, she thinks about those who God entrusted her with. She carries herself knowing that her actions affect them also. I remember Butta P repeating the word ‘confidence’, she keeps telling me you have to be sure of yourself and who you are in Christ. I recall Heesun struggling to find a celebrity in main stream media that girls could look up to, but failed.  She just simply said the world is all about that exterior, being a Christian and having God in your life is about the interior. Last but not least, my sister in Christ Leah Smith reminding me that it’s about loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind! But must say my daddy word sums it up the greatest in Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”And that my friends, is what womanhood is all about!

By: Sweetness

http://http://www.http://http://www.holyculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Ladies-Anthem.mp3

[download id=”226″ format=”4″]

Special thanks to all the artists that helped out! Love you ladies! Thanks to Arend “Joax” Maatkamp from the gospel graffiti crew. And also to my good friend Ricky, couldn’t have done this without ya! If you ever looking for some dope beats, check out soundcloud.com/yo-siah

For more from:

• Butta P
• Heesun Lee
• Mahogany Jones
• Leah Smith