Whoooaaa! Easy now. This will all make sense in just a
short bit, but first let me give you a little insight on my thought process.
There are often times lots of down time here in Africa.
Because Africans don’t keep time very well, we find ourselves waiting around a
lot. For example, if we are set to leave for ministry at 10 am, we normally
don’t end up leaving until 1 pm because stuff comes up with our contacts-long
phone conversation, random person stopping by the house, etc. I’ve managed to
get all seven seasons of The Office from one of my squadmates so I have been killing
some time watching those episodes. I also have gotten lots of other shows and
movies from other sources. But as I watch tv/shows movies during downtime or
before bed, a certain topic usually sticks out to me….
Jim and Pam. Michael and Jan. Ryan and Marissa. Jeff and
Brita. Forest and Jenny. Jacob and Bella-or Edward and Bella (however you
choose to see it). Phil and Claire. Aladdin and Jasmine. Jack and Rose. Zack
and Kelly.
Relationships.
So as I watch on-screen romances such as Jim and Pam from
The Office I began to think to myself “what kind of person do I see myself with
in the future?” And no I’m not just talking about blondes or brunettes. I’m
talking about what do I want her HEART to look like?
And that’s when I decided….”I don’t want to date just any
Christian girl.”
“I want date a WOMAN of God.”
What does a strong woman of God look like to me? There’s
no specific checklist or anything like that, but I live and have lived with 4-5
strong women of God for the past nine months and minister country to country
with 42 of them, so I have a pretty good idea. Ahh but of course per AIM/World
Race rules we aren’t allowed to date…until the Race is over….but that’s a whole
‘nother box of goodies for a later date J.
The women on S-Squad are phenomenal and have taught me SO much on who a real
Godly woman is. All of them have proven to be great examples for their peers
and people that they have ministered to around the world. Here are just a few
characteristics that I have seen from the women of S-Squad and what I want my
future spouse’s heart to consist of:
1.
They know their identity in Christ. They
know that they are a beautiful masterpiece created by God. Genesis 1:27 says
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them.” It’s no mistake that true women of God know that
they belong to the King of King’s. Their identity is not based off TV or movies,
but based on the reality that the Lord created them to be exactly how they are.
They know the Lord has created them for a specific purpose and they are
confident with how the Lord created them. God doesn’t make junk! Which leads me
to my next point….
2.
They are confident in who they are. Confidence
is a major strong suit that women of God strongly portray. Ephesians 3:12 “in
whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.”
They walk in confidence knowing that they are daughters to the almighty God.
They are confident in all aspects of life-self image, career, parenting, ect.
Their faith builds confidence as they draw power from the Lord above.
3.
They love Jesus with all their heart.
This one is pretty self explanatory!
4.
They put God first in their life. I
just love a woman who fears the Lord! “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30. I don’t want
a relationship where a woman finds or places anything in their lives before the
Lord. Our relationship needs to evolve around the Lord….not myself nor her.
5.
They are BOLD and courageous. “Be
strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord
your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. ” Deuteronomy
31:6. Strong women of God follow that scripture. They walk in BOLDNESS and are
not afraid to speak up when they need to. They know right from wrong and they
stand up for what is right. They use the authority of Jesus Christ to cast out
demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. They stand in boldness as they portray
Christ inside of them.
6.
They have a passion to honor serve
others. Having a servant’s heart isn’t just about
picking up everyone’s dishes after dinner, but rather it’s about honoring one
another. When we honor one another we are honoring our Father. I have witnessed
countless acts of honor from each and every person on my squad. I know what it’s
like to honor and to be honored. It’s a beautiful feeling y’all!
7.
They love to LOVE. Let’s
face it….love makes the world go round. A woman of God posses a love like no
other. They love like Christ did and their love is unconditional. They love the
Lord, their family, and whoever else comes in their path. They show love by
honoring one another pouring out blessings whenever they can. Their heart
shines so bright with Christ’s love that it’s hard not to feel the presence of
the Lord when standing right next to them. Ahh….I love it!
8.
They challenge me in my walk of faith.
Oohhh…I really like this one. She must be able to have heart to heart
conversations about our walks of faith and not be afraid to question or
challenge perspectives or opinions. There have been many times when I’m talking
with one of the ladies from the squad and she poses a question about faith that
literally stops in me in tracks and leaves me saying, “huh, I guess I never
really looked at it that way.” I’m not saying she has to be a Bible nut, but
knows how to get me thinking about my faith J.
So those are just a few things off the top of my head
that I see in a strong woman of God. Those were in no particular order and you
can take them for what you will. Again, by no means is this like a checklist of
must haves, but rather a guideline. I was talking to one of the women on the
squad earlier on the Race and she said there are two “musts” a guy must have in
order for her to date him. 1. He must love Jesus with all of his heart and 2. he
must believe in raising people from the dead. Pretty cool “must haves!”
Still confused? Yeah me too. Let me go back to explaining
“just any Christian girl.” Let’s face it…the American church is full of people
that call themselves “Christians” because it’s the cool thing to do. I’ll admit
it, I was one of those people. I used to think that going to church on Sunday’s
is what made me a Christian. It wasn’t until I started The World Race is when I
realized that being a Christian is just more than going to church weekly to get
filled up, but rather it’s about having a RELATIONSHIP with God. By no means am
I trying to say that just going to church to get filled up is bad or not enough
to be considered a good Christian. I know tons of great men and women of God
that attend church weekly. Anyways, for some people it works out great for them
and I know their walk with the Lord is totally different than mine. But I just
feel that in my walk I need someone that continuously seeks MORE of the Lord. I
want someone that wants to pursue that deep intimate connection not just with
each other but with our creator.
Before the Race I used to not really care about much of
the hearts of gals I dated. I cared about the shallow stuff……looks, style, blah
blah blah….and I’ll get to the heart eventually; but once I get home in
September I plan on seeking out the heart like never before. My idea of an
ideal woman has drastically changed; all thanks to the Godly examples that the
women of S-Squad have put on.
So thank you so much to the women of Team Arrow, Team
ReFresh, Team G.T.L. and the rest of the S-Squad women! You are appreciated!
