I pictured a snake around my neck squeezing my throat and
blocking off my vocal chords

 

The Lord told his church to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that He taught and did. The great commission given to the church of Jesus Christ was to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth till every tribe, tongue, and nation have heard the good news that Jesus saves.

I’ve been called to speak forth this message, to proclaim the lordship of Jesus in the earth. The call is to the prophetic ministry placed upon my life by my Heavenly Father. This calling manifests through penning the words of life released to me, printing and publishing them, writing and recording the song of the Lord, and capturing and sending forth the Father’s heart in artistic expression through paint on canvas. I’ve struggled to juggle this calling with that of a wife, mother, and homemaker, and in so doing, have discovered the snake around my neck to be the stigma of womanhood.

Though unspoken, declarations have been made over women barring them from going forward in the things of the Lord. Women “shouldn’t”, “don’t”, and “can’t” do that, “must submit,” and, “for men only,” restrict and seek to disqualify women from running the race. Can women be in ministry apart from the home and still meet the needs of the family and especially of her husband who married her to be his helper in all he aspires to? The church of Jesus Christ is being called into unity in the faith, but also in purpose. Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father for unity, that the church would be one with another and one with Him. Men, women, and children compose the church. In order to experience unity, these must function in their God-given giftings and all barriers between them must come down.

Is there opposition to women in ministry? Jesus stated that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female in Christ Jesus, that all are one and of equal value in the work of the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to open the prison doors and set the captives free. Women have been held prisoner by an underlying predetermined role in the body of Christ. They have been put into a mold and taught to stay there by doctrines in the church that extend into the home. Women’s giftings and aspirations are considered less important than their spouse's or even their children’s and they are viewed as less qualified than their counterparts in areas of expertise. Accepting this role as weaker and voted “most-likely-not-to-succeed,” they have allowed themselves to be stripped of their callings by the teachings of men and abuse of those who refuse to recognize equality between men and women in the Kingdom of God. Verses of scripture are used to intimidate women into submissive wifery or career-chasing to serve their husbands and children.

Injustice rings loud and clear in the home and in the structural church. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day lorded their authority over the people with pious rules and regulations, yet missed the heart beat of God. The Pharisee of today has followed in his father’s footsteps by giving women a repressive burden to carry in exchange for the cross of Christ. What does scripture really say about the role of women in the body of Christ? Are natural and spiritual giftings only given to men? What about the five-fold ministry gifts? Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” If the body of Christ is made up of men, women, and children, we are all His sheep and can all hear His voice. Sons and daughters shall prophecy. Daughters grow up to be women. What will they do with the prophetic gift once they’ve come of age?

The Lord is not the author of confusion. He is able to orchestrate the functioning of men, women, and even children in their callings while dwelling in unity with one another and having all needs met. Confusion and division come from the enemy, often working through well-meaning Pharisaical standards set according to human understanding. If we refuse to apply human understanding to the scriptures and instead seek direction from the Lord in all we do, leaning on His wisdom and acknowledging Him as the author and perfecter of our faith, we may find that His “higher ways” make more sense than ours. For sure a lesson can be learned from the Pharisee, that living according to an array of pious rules based on man’s interpretation of scripture doesn’t bring one’s life in line with the truth of God’s word.

If there are barriers between men and women in the home and in the church, could it be that the viper has moved in? If, on examination, we find that a woman is struggling with a man-made standard erected for her and is having difficulty wearing the applied labels, could it be that part of the reason for her distress is that she has been held back from functioning in a calling upon her life other than house wife and home maker? We have all been called to carry the torch and to function in our spiritual giftings as well as our natural giftings to minister life and liberty to the captives. We are all called to run the race, to enter into the full measure of the joy of the Lord, and at the finish line, to be greeted with the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” We are all called to give up our lives for the sake of the kingdom. Some of us may even be called to martyrdom, but not by a stigma concocted by the imagination of men.

If you find there is a stranglehold around your neck keeping you from doing your part to make disciples of the nations, declare war on the enemy and refuse to submit to an ungodly man-made standard, take up your cross, trust the Lord to supply every need, and if martyrdom is forth-coming, may it be as a reward for following the Lamb wherever He goes!