A Godly Example – 21st Century Women Who Are Just Like Us

Is there someone in your life who has set a godly example for you? Steph shares with us some of the women who have inspired her relationship with God. Read about women of influence here.

21st Century Women Who Provide a Godly Example

When considering who to write about today, I realized I wanted to consider some 21st-century women who are—or were—just like us.

I think of my mother and my mother-in-law, who are both with the Lord. I think of my sister, one of the best friends you could ask for. I think of the dear women in my life who seek to deal with their mental health issues in a God-honouring way. And I think of those who call me friend, an honour I don’t take for granted. I also think of one such friend who is also an editing client. Working on her newest project was actually what inspired today’s devotional.

Tracy is a writer and an artist. Her work is whimsical and folksy. Just looking at it makes my heart happy. God gave her a gift and she is seeking to use it to honour Him and bless others. We should seek to do the same with the gifts He has given us.

After all, James 1:17 says,

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (ESV).

I am blessed to call Tracy just one of my many friends. When I was growing up, I didn’t have a lot of friends, at least not a lot of close friends. And those I did have, I didn’t appreciate as I should have. Thankfully, this is one area in which God has been at work in me. I now value the friends He has brought into my life.

What Can We Learn From Our Friends?

They are just like us in many ways and we have much we can learn from them:

• The importance of loving others—even when they’re unlovable
• The value of understanding that others may not be deliberately neglecting us; they may simply be busy
• The need to listen and the need to be heard
• The importance of being available
• The value of being authentic

There are times I’m most unlovable, but my friends have an amazing way of looking beyond this. We must do the same for others.

I very much appreciate the people in my life who realize I am not deliberately neglecting them. Some of them are as busy as I am and others are not. We must extend the same grace to others.

Our friends may be those we feel we can “be real” with, those we can open up to. However, there are times they need us to “listen to learn rather than listen to respond,” as the saying goes. (This is a saying I must repeatedly remind myself to heed.)

While our friends may understand when we can’t spend as much time with them as we’d like, there are times they need us to be available. We must learn when to set aside our busyness in order to tend to the things that are truly important—like those the Lord has brought into our life.

And as I mentioned, we can be authentic with our friends. But if we hope to develop these kinds of relationships, we must be willing to allow others to be real with us as well. Although it is always the right thing to point them to the Lord and to His Word, we must avoid being preachy and giving pat answers. Sometimes our friends simply need us to listen as they pour out their heart.

I know a number of women who struggle with depression and other mental health issues. Although we may not be able to relate entirely to those facing these challenges, we must remember that they are just like us in more ways than not. They need our love, understanding, and compassion. They need to be encouraged to look to the Lord and to trust Him to meet their needs. And they may also need our assistance as they seek support and encouragement from health care professionals and counselors. These dear ones have my admiration.

A Godly Example

I also admire my sister. She sets such a good example for those in her life. (Hopefully, the same can be said of us.) She faithfully prays for family and friends. She is one of the most unselfish people I know, putting the needs of others before her own the majority of the time. She deals with chronic pain—which, for some people, would be all but debilitating. Like the rest of us, she is a work-in-progress, but she does set a godly example in many ways—something we should all desire to do.

And two other women who were just like us and set a good example were my mother and my mother-in-law. My mother was fallible in several ways; she was far from perfect. In this way, she was just like us.

Romans 3:23 holds true for all of us.  

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (ESV).

Yet, my mom introduced me to faith in Jesus. Her desire was to live a life that honoured Him. She trusted God’s Word 100 percent. These are only three of the countless things I’m thankful for, three ways in which we ought to seek to be just like her.

I was also blessed to have a godly mother-in-law. She set a good example over the many years I knew her, but today I’d like to mention how I want to emulate her at the end of my life. Over the course of her last few days on Earth—lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak—she wanted three things: for her family to pray with her, to read God’s Word to her (she indicated specific chapters and verses she wanted read), and to hug her repeatedly. What a legacy!

All the women around us are just like us in countless ways. May we learn from their good example, be patient with their shortcomings, and seek to discover God’s plans and purposes for us—together.

Today let’s consider those women in our lives who set a godly example and seek to do the same for others.

Can you remember a time that God provided for you when you needed Him? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.

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