To The Woman Who's Worth More
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).
I’m in the midst of a battle. My Abba Father pours truth over me through the Holy Spirit, while the enemy uses the hurtful arrows of another against me. The target? My identity.
So I dig deep, and I write this truth to you because I know that I’m not the only woman on this battlefield. And I pray as you read these words placed here that you are filled with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and comprehend how vast the love of Christ is for you as a daughter to the High King (Ephesians 3:18).
The Battle
For any human to live life unscathed by trauma is rare. I know this first hand. And in a world where there’s a divine balance between God’s sovereignty and mankind’s ability to make ‘meaningful choices,’ we are constantly reminded that we live in a fallen one. A person’s decisions and behaviors can bring great joy into our lives, but relationships can also leave us injured. We then must try to heal from the wounds that another’s arrows of hurt created. These wounds can be emotional, mental, and even physical. And this is where my heart weighs heavy.
My own battle of who God says that I am, who He created me to be, and the wounds created by men throughout my life. Men who made the decision not to be who God called them to be and not to love the women in their lives as Christ loves the Church.
It isn’t easy to write this to you. I asked myself a lot, ‘How do I champion my sisters in Christ, when I am in the midst of this battle?’ But then I remembered that God equips the called (Judges 7: 1-18), and boy is my heart called to encourage you as the Holy Spirit has encouraged me. So as my heart heals from the arrows caused by others, I pray yours does as well. God will use these arrows and the wounds they make for our good and His best (Romans 8:28).
There’s no quick solution or fix to bring you as the victor of your heartache. No, it’s clear to me that sometimes our only option is to sit in the ambiguity of life, even when it’s excruciatingly painful, and wait on the Lord. And it’s in the waiting that God asks that we surrender our wounded heart to the only true victor of any battle - Jesus.
Where our Abba Father will use all things for our good and to bring us closer to him, the enemy will always try to convince you otherwise. Satan is a liar and a deceiver. He is always on the prowl looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He has been at this since the days of Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:1-6). So when the arrows of another come flying and you are in the midst of battling messages that strike at your identity, I want to encourage you to stay alert, stand firm in your faith, and remember these truths:
I am a Child of God
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)
I am a New Creation
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, [she] is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I am chosen
“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you” (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
I am Worth More
“I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and am still with you” (Psalm 139:14-18).
I know there will be battles and heartache on this side of heaven, but I also know the One who is with us and goes before us. Whatever battlefield you find yourself on, remember God is fighting right beside you. He is for you, not against you (Romans 8:31). Christ, seated at the right hand of the Father, intercedes for you (Romans 8:34). When you don’t know what to pray for or how, the Holy Spirit intercedes - turning our groanings into prayers (Romans 8:26-27).
My final call to you is to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). When the arrows come flying, when you find yourself overwhelmed with heartache, when the hurt of another causes you to entertain lies from the enemy - remember who God says you are and may you trust His best for you. Because in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us and you beloved are worth more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashley’s passion is helping women stand firm in their faith. As a type 4w5 on the Enneagram, she enjoys writing as a way to dig deeper into God’s Word and encourage others through all seasons of life. Ashley works in marketing and currently lives in Charlotte, NC - the Queen City!