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Woman of Faith:
What Defines a Woman of Faith?
by Jessica Cuccioli
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"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman
who fears the Lord is to be praised." -Proverbs 31:30
Two women of faith
As we approached the exit on to Capital Blvd., my heart jumped
in my throat. I had been waiting months to move to North Carolina.
But Bible college? I was so excited, so nervous. I wasn't a "seasoned"
Christian. What would they think of me?
I could never forget my first two friends; Esther, an international
student from Korea, and Angela, who had lived as a missionary
in China. The most important lessons I learned at school were
from them, but I don't even think they know that. They welcomed
me as a sister, never once pointed fingers, and if I needed to
pray at two o'clock in the morning, they were there.
And as I saw them live through hard times, especially being in
college, I realized all the while what I'd been doing was wrong.
Never was there a hint that they relied on themselves, but on
the Lord's promises and faith in prayer. They cried at other's
sorrows and never put themselves first.
And they smiled. Always smiled from genuine joy.
The testimony and the lives of Esther and Angela changed mine
forever. For the first time in my life, I knew what being a woman
of faith meant.
What Defines a Woman of Faith
Who is the first person you think of when you think of a woman
of faith? Is it a family member? A friend? Perhaps a woman from
the Bible, like Ruth, Esther, or Sarah?
There are many things that define a woman of faith, but there
is one above them all.
A woman of faith fears the Lord. Hold on. Don't run away
just yet. It isn't the that kind of fear. Fear in the Lord in
this context is a good fear. It is the acknowledgment that He
is God and is to be obeyed, but also that He is your safety and
shelter, that no one may harm you under his protection.
A woman of faith trusts in the Lord, which means trusting
in His promises, and therefore follow in keeping their own promises.
A woman of faith keeps herself in the word. She keeps
herself a woman of faith by being continually refreshed in the
Word, by learning (since we never stop doing that).
A woman of faith prays. Don't let anyone tell you there
is a right and wrong way. Is there a right and wrong way to talk
to your mom? Your dad? When you need to, He listens. Many women
of faith set time aside during a certain part of the day to spend
solely with God. Like any relationship, communication is important.
But prayer is not only one ended; it is good to be silent also.
Sometimes He puts things on our hearts when we choose to listen.
A woman of faith has fellowship, whether it is church
service, Bible study, women's fellowship, a day with the girls,
anything! Fellowship has no limits, really. When you come together
with other believers, that's fellowship!
A woman of faith suffers real problems and persecutions.
It is how she deals with it that defines her as a woman of faith.
A woman of faith doesn't use her misfortunes as excuses. Misfortune
happens, but we should never allow that to deter our trust in
the Lord.
A woman's beauty is defined by her spiritual life
A woman of faith, who's trust is in Christ, is beautiful to God.
To her family and friends, she is trustworthy, loving, and praised.
And she is a threat to the enemy.
If you are going through hard times, and you find yourself lacking
faith, I hope this will encourage you: If you are a woman of faith,
then you have an enemy. If the enemy did not consider you a threat,
you may not have gone through those hard times. Give praise to
the Lord in those hard times because you only strengthen yourself,
and your faith.
Here are two great magazines worth checking out:
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Jessica Cuccioli is a Southwest Florida journalism student. She was raised a Messianic Jew, and studied at a Christian Bible college for a year. Ms. Cuccioli has also been published in the Charlotte Sun. Best of all, she was engaged to be married in Fall 2004.
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