I have been reading Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald and am almost done with it. Although I don’t know if I would have bought this book for myself, I am glad that I made this my choice of book when I won a contest that allowed me to pick from five or six titles.
Since I am a former feminist myself, I was quickly drawn into this book. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I even told the older girls that we were going to have reading time while the younger ones napped just so I could make sure I had a chance to read it every day (of course a set reading time is good anyway!).
I wanted to share something from the ninth chapter that really touched me. It seemed to be my heart’s cry.
If you’re standing on the edge of the precipice, listening to the siren song of feminism, let me urge you to stop your ears. The lure may be sweet, but the trap is bitter. I lament the years I wasted trying to “find myself” when I could have been dying to self. I regret the relationships I hurt while trying to prove myself to others when I should have been laying down my life for the brethren. You don’t need to waste years just to see for yourself if the forbidden fruit is really rotten. Biblical womanhood has so much more to offer that you don’t want to waste a minute of time throwing your gifts and talents away on pursuit of your individual goals. There is much to be passionate about as we pursue biblical womanhood! Kindling this passion and fueling it for the glory of God is our life’s calling, and no side road (however tempting) is going to lead us to contentment and joy. . . Feminism is as old as the Garden of Eden and simply recycles the same tired line: “God was wrong; taste and see—I can give you something better.” But Satan’s rotten fruit will not satisfy our deepest hunger. That can only be filled by the passionate love of the Bride for her Groom as she serves Him with all of her heart. What a calling! And what a faithful God we serve, Who does not leave us to our folly, but calls us out time and again. From wretched desperation to passionate adoration: it’s the story of the Gospel! This is our heritage in Christ. Let us not forsake it.
I could have written this. I do sorrow in the years I lost when trying to fulfill the premise that “You can do anything and be anything you want to”. People told me I had great talents and abilities that I needed to pursue and make something of myself. They told me that I could be successful in whatever career I chose. Not that they meant to, but they made me feel like I needed a career to be successful at all which only helped fuel the other feministic thoughts I was being fed on a daily basis.
I regret the number of relationships I hurt and/or destroyed because of my false thinking. It was just last year that I felt like I had to apologize to my former fiancé about how I had treated him and didn’t show him the respect he deserved. Although I don’t know whether or not he even read the letter with my apology in it, I now have peace about that situation. I only wish I could contact everyone who was affected by my thoughts, feelings and actions and apologize to them as well.
If you chose to make the journey out of feministic thinking, I want to warn you that it won’t be easy and it won’t be a short journey. It takes a number of years to “undo” how you have been living. I still find myself struggling with some of the lies that Satan told me and I believed. Although for the most part I think I have succeeded, I need to be careful and constantly re-examine my thoughts and feelings on certain subjects. This was made real to me when I was reading Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. There were so many times I would get upset with what she said and have to put the book down. It was only through prayer and digging into God’s Word myself that I was able to see where my thinking was wrong, and she was right (that being said I still don’t agree with her on everything).
If you struggle with feministic thinking and want to change your mindset, let me know and I will pray for you. I know I coveted the prayers of other godly women when I was just beginning my journey.
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