“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword; it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).
Against her will, my grandmother, Onie White, became a single mother in the 1950s. She supported her children on a tight, tight budget by working as a seamstress. Even though the family was materially poor, my grandmother made sure her children were spiritually wealthy.
She raised her children in church. She spoke the Word of God to her children. She lived a godly life in front her children. As a result, her children grew up to be Christians whose faith is important to them to this day. My father, one of her sons, became a pastor. He raised me; and I also was called to be a minister of the gospel of Christ.
Therefore, my own deep faith and calling is the result of a single mother in the 1950s who clung to her trust in God. My grandmother was a living example of a woman who knew how to move heaven when she prayed. Even after her death, I saw God answering her fervent prayers. A phenomenal Sunday school teacher, she possessed extensive knowledge of the Word of God. Any time I went to see her, I was guaranteed an excellent, home cooked meal and a dynamic sermon!
To say my grandmother was perfect would be less than honest. She had her challenges and less-than-stellar moments. But we had some great times together. More importantly, she modeled for me the power of a godly woman in her home.
Did she and her kids suffer because her husband and their father abandoned the family? Of course. Any family would suffer if a parent and spouse suddenly left for good. Nevertheless, my grandmother refused to give up and refused to negate her responsibility to teach her children the power of God’s Word. And God’s Word took root!
Hebrews 4:12 NIV states, “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” In recent years, the popular Christian mantra has emphasized the importance of a godly man in the home. Some even go so far as to say that a man’s spiritual influence in the home is greater than a woman’s. Nevertheless, the influence of God’s Word is not based upon the gender of the one who speaks it, but upon the power of the God who authored it. He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 KJV). He is the one who anoints us and fills us with His Spirit and His power. There is nothing in Scripture that supports the assumption that the power of God’s word changes with the gender of the one speaking it. Instead, the Word of God is characterized as alive and active and sharp—a force within itself! And on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stated, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy….Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18 NIV). The Spirit of the Holy Creator is not harnessed by the people He created.
While men are vitally important to homes, to churches, to society—and I pray for more powerful men of God—women are not of lesser spiritual importance. My grandmother’s example is but one of many living legacies of this truth. Nevertheless, as I have tragically heard women confess, when a woman believes that she is spiritually inferior, she will fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy of being a spiritual weakling, not putting down deep, spiritual roots for the fear of going too deep and violating her spiritually subordinate role. I am thankful that my grandmother never embraced a spiritually subordinate role. I am thankful she never questioned God’s power in her life and in her home as He worked through her. I am thankful she embraced her faith and her calling with a boldness that left a spiritual impact that is still rippling down to multiple generations.
Onie White used to carry her Bible in her purse. When asked why, she said, “I have to keep my sword with me.” Today, I carry a slim-line Bible in my purse. It’s my ever-present sword!
The Challenge
Think about the women you have seen God work through. Think about the powerful influence those women have had on you, your church, and even society. Search your heart and ask yourself if you are fully embracing the depths of God’s anointing on your life. Are you positioned for Him to pour out His Spirit upon you? Are you fulfilling His divine purpose to make disciples in your home and in His kingdom?
—Debra White Smith © 2018