“You is kind. You is smart. You is important,” are perhaps the most memorable words from a recent book and movie making its way around the world entitled “The Help.” The theme of this movie seeks to highlight the true value of each woman - no matter her background, age, status or color.As women there are many competing messages sent our way. Some tell us we are not valued, loved, or needed and others tell us we are “superwomen” and need no one else. Often, these messages not only tell us how to think of ourselves, but also where to place our focus and our time. The world barrages us with conflicting advice, thoughts, directions, and ideas. It can be a daunting task to try and figure out who we should be and what we should be doing. Thank goodness we have the Bible! We have the encouraging words and stories given to us by God. He reaffirms his belief in us and his vision for our lives to be used in a powerful way.
God does not expect or even want us to sit on the sidelines timidly hoping to be called on to the field. In the gospels, women of faith and sacrifice are noticed and commended. At times their faith was obvious and their actions extravagant, as in the anointing of Jesus by Mary just before his death. Other times their gifts, accompanied by deep faith, weren’t obvious to anyone except Jesus—as with the widow who gave all she had to live on. Either way—Jesus notices!
There are several woman we want to look at who can inspire us with how much God values and favors us, how needed we are in the Kingdom of God, and how important it is for us to be purposeful learners and teachers—able to pass on a powerful legacy of humility, faith, and love to everyone we know.
YOU ARE VALUED
Too many of us feel valued if we came from the right background, went to the best school, hold a college degree, have a prestigious career, live in the respected neighborhood, etc. Our sense of value seems to be tied to what we have or do, rather than who we are.
The poor widow in Luke 21:1–4 is a woman who caught the attention of Jesus. There were many people at the temple that day, but Jesus particularly saw one woman, unnoticed by everyone else. He drew her from obscurity to the limelight of discipleship. She became his “object lesson.” “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” No one saw this truth but Jesus. She was the example of an absolute trust in God that compelled her to “put in all she had.” Her example calls all women in the kingdom of God to a higher standard of faithfulness. We want to continue to follow her lead in giving all we have, knowing that God will supply what is lacking. No gift goes unnoticed by God. Jesus notices us and values us even when we don’t feel we have much to offer. With this woman, as with us, he knows and cares about what is in our heart of hearts.
If we, as women today, can simply give our all to Jesus no matter what we have, we can also be commended by Jesus. All is enough! Let us each be known as the woman who gave “all she had.”
God also noticed Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a woman who was highly favored. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)
Mary was chosen to give birth to the Son of God. What an honor! Sometimes we may think that Mary was just an exceptional woman; some have even made her a saint and worship her. Is this what God wanted to happen to Mary? Is that why she was highly favored? Did he want her to feel that because she was so perfect she was the only choice? From God’s word we know that our perfection is not what God is looking for. Mary’s response, after inquiring as to what God was looking for, was simply “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)
God still highly favors a humble servant. We all know women who have excelled in their Christian walk; they are our heroes and they inspire us. However, do we each feel inspired by how God wants to use us personally? Even before we’re Christians, God values us; we’re his creation, we’re important, we’re loved. He bestows blessings on the righteous and unrighteous alike. But the constant quality that God highly esteems is the humble servant heart that Mary and the poor widow demonstrate.
“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
Our humility will take us to the heights (James 4:10) just like Jesus’ humility took Him to the heights of heaven. (Phil. 2:8-11)
YOU ARE NEEDED
The Dr. Seuss children’s story, Horton Hears a Who, tells of Horton the Elephant, who hears a small speck of dust speaking to him. It turns out this is not actually a speck of dust speaking, but a tiny planet which houses a city called Whoville, inhabited by very tiny inhabitants known as Whos. The Mayor of Whoville asks Horton the elephant (who can hear them) to protect them from harm. Horton believes in their value (though they are very tiny) and agrees to do so. His fellow animals deride him, thinking he is deluded with this notion of Whoville. Horton convinces the Whos that they must make themselves heard to the other animals, otherwise they will meet their end being boiled in “beezelnut oil.” They try in vain to make themselves heard, until in the end the smallest inhabitant named JoJo joins in. It is this final addition of JoJo’s voice that creates enough volume for the other animals to hear and believe that there was indeed a place called Whoville, which Horton’s fellow animals now join in to help protect.
While this is a fictional story, it illustrates that sometimes the seemingly most insignificant-feeling person is desperately needed. God teaches this clearly in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.
As we go through the various stages of life, we rarely see our present stage as the time of great opportunities and where we are needed. If we are single, we may think we will be more effective when we find the right husband and have a family. A mom with young children may long for the day when her children are all in school, so she will have more time to serve others. Older women may look back to the days when they had more energy or had young children who helped them meet their neighbors!
The woman in Mark 14-9 did a “beautiful thing” to Jesus. She broke her alabaster jar of perfume and poured it on his head. This woman could not protect Jesus from the men who were “looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.” She had no power or influence. She could not save Jesus from his fateful end. She did have an alabaster jar of perfume and a heart to express love. This nameless woman broke her jar, anointed Jesus and spread a fragrance that penetrates our senses to this day. “She did what she could.” She put her love into action the only way she could conceive to do so. The scent of her love would have followed Jesus through Jerusalem and to the cross. Wherever he went, her love would follow. Her example of sacrificial love is one for us to imitate today. It is not too much to ask that we "do what we can." God never asks us to give more than we have been given.
Jesus chose to have this account told wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world. You may feel that the things you have to contribute are insignificant. Jesus saw this woman’s heart and that she did what she could. Each of us can choose to give we have and do what we can.
We all have different gifts, different talents and are in different stages of life. God’s message to all of us is that we are valued. He wants us to use all that we are and all that we have to bring Him glory. He knows our seeming limitations. He knows exactly what stage of life we are in (even if we can’t seem to quite figure it out at times!). His message to us, as women, is, “You are valued! You are needed!”