A Lady

 

"To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained, but she is gentle, she is gracious, she is godly and she is giving." -Elisabeth Elliot

I really like this quote by Elisabeth Elliot. It is a great quote on what femininity truly is. A feminine lady will not be superficial, irresponsible, rude, and all frilly. But she will be gentle, humble, and meek. She will be gracious towards others. She will godly, reflecting the beauty of Christ. She will be giving and her life will be outward focused. 

Let's take a closer look:

GENTLE

What does it mean to be gentle? It means to be kind, merciful, pleasant, sympathetic, forgiving, considerate, and humble. Christ was a beautiful example of being gentle. Matthew 11:29 says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." It is a good thing to be gentle. To be gentle and meek is not weakness. It actually shows strength and courage. It puts others above self. It is not harsh or careless. Jesus tells us that we can come to Him because He is gentle and lowly of heart (humble). Those who are gentle and selfless are easier to approach than those who are angry and wrathful. As Christian woman we want to represent Christ, and that includes representing His gentleness.

GRACIOUS

To be gracious is to be compassionate. Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." And Colossians 3:12 says, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience," As God's chosen ones we are to be kind, considerate, humble, and compassionate to others. We are to comfort others, bear one another's burdens, love at all times, sympathize with fellow believers, and love our neighbor as ourselves. (2 Cor. 3:3-10, Gal. 6:2, Prov. 17:17, Rom. 12:15, Mt. 22:39) We are to truly care for others and live that compassion out. 

GODLY

God calls us to be godly. (1 Tm. 4:8, 2 Pt. 1:5-8, Eph. 5:1) To be godly means to reflect the character, actions, words, and even thoughts of God. As women we are designed to reflect the beauty of God. But it is not outer beauty that reflects this, but rather the heart. If we want to be truly godly women we must focus on the heart and not our outer beauty. (Read my blog post on true beauty here!) As you seek to be a godly women strive to know God even more. The more you know Him the more you can strive to be like Him. Imitate Him. Shine His light by living a life that follows His example.

GIVING

A godly woman will also be giving. The godly woman described in Proverbs 31 is a woman who is constantly giving. Her focus is on others, and not herself. She cares for her husband and children and works hard to provide for them. She gives to the needy. Why give? Well, we have received the greatest gift that could ever be given, one that we are undeserving of: salvation. And not only that, but we have received it freely. And it took the greatest sacrifice ever! So, we also, as Christ did, must strive to live a life that is constantly giving. This will point to Christ and His love, compassion, and self-sacrifice.

So, seek to be a lady that is gentle, gracious, godly, and giving.