Abigail Dodds - (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ

And we all, with unveiled face [through Christ], beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Have you ever heard a little child babble in seemingly incoherent speech with a look of intelligence and satisfaction as you struggle to understand a single syllable coming from her tiny mouth? If youre lucky, that little ones mother is nearby and inexplicably able to translate and transform the babble into sentences. All the sudden ya -y a wa wa -w a is shown for what it is: Elianna wants water. Duh. Clearly the child is destined for greatness. Or at least the mom has a bright future in toddler -e se .

This ability to take raw materials and rudimentary stuff and turn it into more, in other words, to glorify it, is a sometimes forgotten part of being a Christian woman. You may wonder why I place this emphasis on women being transformative. Arent men transformative? Yes. But Ill leave that to someone else to write about. I emphasize it because I see it in the Scriptures and in Gods creation called woman.

A woman is to be compared to a crown on the head of her husband (Prov.

Womanhood Is a Prism

A woman is a prism that takes in light and turns it into an array of greater, fuller glory so that others now see the rainbow that was contained in the beam. She constantly radiates reminders of Gods faithfulness. She reads the black -a nd -w hite pages of the Word of God and takes on the task of living them out in vibrant hues for her children, her neighbors, and the world to see. When the Bible commands feeding, nourishing, training, and love, a godly woman sets to the task, better -i fying and beautifying everything around her.

Perhaps the most poignant vision we have of this transforming woman is in the oft -d readed Proverbs 31 woman par excellence. That brief section of Scripture from verses 10 to 31 has inspired countless pages, both idolizing it and tearing it down. I have found myself on opposite sides of it, both looking to it for everything and then, consequently, almost nothing. Whole articles are spent explaining why no woman should attempt to be a Proverbs 31 woman, how we arent meant to be her, that she is a mythical figure, the personification of wisdom, and most importantly, we are told, do not try this at home! Move along, folks, nothing to see here.

Assuming that she is not a real person but a figurative example and a composite of many virtuous women, and assuming she is the personification of wisdom and in many ways unattainable, doesnt she still have something to teach us? Even as we maintain that we cannot be herconsidering that for most of us, planting a vineyard is simply out of the question (v. 16)is she not given to us as a worthy example in principle? And even if we hold that only Jesus is able to fulfill all the qualities she exudes, is it not true for those of us clothed in Christ and his righteousness that we are to imitate himhe who is perfect in every way? At the very least, the Scriptures seem to maintain that we should at least revere the virtues she represents, not scorn the passage.

Why did God choose to make this picture of wisdom a woman? Is it a mere literary device that ought to be deconstructed? Ought not men also imitate her? Well, sure, except for the part about her being a wife and all. It may be a literary device, but that doesnt make it less applicable to women by the acknowledgment that men have much to gain from it as well. It adds meaning; it doesnt subtract from it. So, yes, men have much to learn from her. Yet women will have a more concrete and tangible relationship with the concept of being a wife, as they actually have the potential to live that out.

Weve gotten so bent out of shape about this excellent woman that men are chastised for desiring a Proverbs 31 woman ( No such woman exists! Lower your standards, man! Dont expect any such goodness from me! ) and simultaneously told that it was likely a song sons were to memorize in praise of their (future?) wives. Hmm. But if no woman really is meant to be like her, then wouldnt it be false flattery to teach sons to sing such a song? Or worse, a not so subtle hint of all that his wife should be, but isnt? We dont have to wonder how that would go over.

A New Heart for Proverbs 31

When we turn Proverbs 31 into a heavy burden, its no wonder were eager to cast it off. But like all of Gods ideals that we cannot meet, we rest in the One who met them for us. We do not operate as those earning our salvation by becoming the excellent wife. We come broken, sick, wandering, and anything but excellent. It is God who transforms us. It is God who does the mighty, deep, and wonderful renewal. And our transforming is only ever born from that. A heart that desires to be like the representative woman from Proverbs 31 or any holy woman of the Scriptures is itself a testament to transformationnone of us desires that on our own. None of us desires wisdom or holiness apart from God working a miracle in our heart.

So, if you feel something less than love and admiration for the portrait God saw fit to give us in Proverbs 31 (or any part of Gods perfect Word), the place to start is a new heart, and only God can supply it. If Proverbs 31 makes you feel like someone loaded giant bags of luggage on your back, it is time to lay those down at the cross. And once weve been transformed, we will begin to see the beauty of the myriad ways God invites us to transform actual tangible things around us and make them better for his glory.

The ideal woman will no longer be a threat or a requirement but inspiring and glorious as we observe that everything she touches, she improves to yield a return. We will see this as freedom, not bondage. Dont we want that good for the people around us? Dont we desire to be wise and transformative and more like Christ? Gods design outlined in the Scriptures is a vision for womanhood that is not just right and to be obeyed; it is experientially preferable to all the world has to offer. And it doesnt apply just to those who are married or mothers. Single women of any age are meant for full transformative womanhood. They are meant to be Christian women in the deepest sense, that is, spiritually nurturing and growing all God has given them.

Spent for Glory

Unfortunately, being an agent of transformation or influence is not confined to betterment. Worldliness also transformssin transforms. When we walk in sin, we take good things and sour them. Our child wakes up cheerfully, and we transform that cheerfulness into gloom as we rail about the mess that didnt get picked up. Our husband comes home from work eager to see us, and we make him sorry he ever had such a thought as we snap and gripe about our day. Our friend is excited to share her good news, and we turn it into an occasion for envy, comparison, and anger. We may laugh at the old saying, When mama aint happy, aint nobody happy, but it is a testament to the truth that we transform the very air our people breathe, for good or ill.

What a different kind of transforming happens for the woman who is in Christ. In this transformative role, whether single or married, a woman mimics her Savior. Like him, she submits to Gods will, and, also like him, God uses her to take what was useless on its own and shape it into glory: dirty things clean; chaos turned to order; an empty kitchen overflowing with life and food; a lonely apartment changed by a simple open door and warm welcome as women eagerly gather to study Gods Word; children in want of knowledge and truth and a mother eager to teach; a man in need of help and counsel and a woman equipped to give it.

God has made us for glorynot glory that terminates on us, but glory that permeates everything given to us and points in all things to Christ, who is the radiance of the glory of God, the Savior and ultimate transforming One. And as we behold himhis perfection, his saving work, his glorious facewe are changed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18).