Voices and choices matter, now, in the future, and for eternity.
Voices and choices matter that much? Wow, Patrice, pretty heavy stuff.
I mean today I made the hard choice between a chocolate chip or mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. Other than extra pounds in my future, probably not particularly earthshattering.
Yes, my life is pretty mundane. I proved this to myself when taking a quiz that tells you what animal you are most like. What was the result?
Disappointed to say the least, I mean penguins don’t even fly and they don’t walk properly either, they waddle! What a loser bird, I want to soar like an eagle. But alas, most of us are penguins, not eagles; mice, not lions; lemmings, not wolves – you get my drift.
So, do our voices and choices really matter?
At first glance, it seems not so much. However, there is one place to go for the answer to every life question: The Bible.
No, we aren’t looking at Scriptures that tell us we are daughters of God. We know that, and although we shouldn’t, we still feel insignificant.
Instead, we are examining real women of the Bible with ordinary lives, who struggled, cried, and fell short, but in the end their voices and choices mattered.
Okay, this next statement is a bit of a stretch, but it’s true. The voices and choices of biblical women are impacting us even today!
I know what you’re thinking. Interesting, perhaps. Great for guidance, sure. But impacting our day-to-day lives, I have to say NO to that. After all, these women lived thousands of years ago!
Well, let’s start at the beginning.
EVE (Genesis Chapter 3)
This woman lived in Paradise, talked with God, and never had to go to the White House Black Market Store to pick out black outfits that made her look as thin as possible. But still there was discontentment brewing. When Satan attacked she believed the lies. And the decision to eat the fruit still impacts us today.
I hear you, Eve is an exception. After all, she was the first woman. Okay, let’s move forward in Old Testament history.
THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD (Numbers 27: 1-11)
Finally, the Israelites are in the Promised Land and acreage was allotted by tribe. Five daughters, belonging to the tribe of Manasseh, missed out when the land was distributed to the men of their tribe. Zelophehad’s family was overlooked because he was deceased and had no son to inherit.
So, the ladies petitioned Moses and stood before the priests and tribal leaders demanding their share of land. Now, understand, this is no small thing for these women to do in their culture. Approaching these leaders was like arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court when you aren’t an attorney!
Moses took the problem to God and we find that God is no sexist. Through Moses, God declared that the sisters receive a share of land. Great for them, but how does this impact future generations? Well, winning this case changed Israel’s inheritance laws not just for these sisters, but for all future generations.
Additionally, this law was mentioned in an article published by The American Bar Association Journal in 1924. Also, the law was cited when arguing a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2014. Talk about voices and choices still speaking generations later.
THEN THERE IS ESTHER (Esther 4: 10-17)
Through some unusual circumstances this orphaned Jewish girl, who was exiled from Israel to Persia, found herself Queen! When the king ordered all Jews to be killed (he didn’t know Esther was a Jew) she bravely intervened.
Her actions saved the Jews from annihilation. Today, the Jewish people still celebrate Purim , acknowledging her courage and heroism.
OF COURSE, WE CAN’T FORGET MARY (Luke 1:26-38)
It was quite a shock. Chosen to give birth to the Messiah! Her response is recorded in Luke 1:38.
Mary didn’t argue like some men when given a difficult assignment, e.g., Moses, Gideon, Elijah, and Jonah. Although being the mother of the Messiah was a tremendous honor, it was fraught with earthly trials and great suffering. I don’t think I have to explain further how Mary’s choices impacts our lives today.
DORCAS (Acts 9:36-42)
You sense that Dorcas’ home was a welcoming place where women gathered, laughed, shared, and encouraged one another. She used her talents as a seamstress to clothe the poor, especially widows. She was known for her good deeds, kind heart, and charitable acts. Learn more about her on our community page.
So, how does she impact our lives today? Her ministry is still serving others. There are Dorcas’ Societies actively ministering to the poor.
How do voices and choices matter?
In this mix there is a woman sent out into an unknown world with no other female to guide her, sisters with no male protection, an orphan living in exile, a poor Jewish girl, and a seamstress. Like most of us, these woman probably lived their lives never giving a thought to their place in history. There are many others impacting our lives, but there isn’t time or space to list them all.
The point is, we don’t have to be a powerful political figure, born into royalty, or an international business mogul to affect future generations. Don’t kid yourself, we may live ordinary lives, we might even say boring, but our voices and choices matter, perhaps in the life of someone not yet born or even someone a thousand years from now.
Comments
Share your thoughts in the comment section below. You can make prayer requests or remind us of other biblical women whose voices and choices mattered.
By the way, when I read about penguins, I realized they are actually pretty cool. There was no need to feel unimportant. I put the description of a penguin personality in the comment section below. Oh, and if you want to find out your animal type, click here. If you take the quiz, come back and share your result in the comment section below.
One more thing before I go. I your want to learn more about how women are portrayed in both a good and bad light check out Fake News About Women.
As promised, here is the information about being a penguin type. They really are pretty cool and there was no reason to be sad about my result. The black and white thing makes penguins act differently in various situations, revealing only what they want people to see. Penguins are smart animals and as writers have no equal. (I didn’t say that the test result did. LOL) Penguin types are misunderstood and often underestimated by others. They are compassionate, keep commitments, and are cooperative. Additionally, they are loyal to their mate and very nurturing parents, who will sacrifice and do anything for their children. You can click on the link at the end of the article if you want to find out your animal. If you do, come back and share in the comments.