that [virtuous] woman tho: take 2

this is not the dainty (but hard-working) moral, good, selfless lady i had conjured up, remember? we talked about this. a virtuous woman is a force, a 'crown,' fueled by God's strength -- the virtue that put Pharaoh's army and the Babylonians to shame, friends. #usetheforce

but what about New Testament virtue? is it basically the exact same word, just in Greek instead of Hebrew? eh...ish. and if you've been reading along about my thoughts on youth lead-ing here and here, you'll see some interesting similarities. #thinkthinkthink might 'virtuous' pertain to us all?

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New Testament 'virtue': DYNAMIS (dune-a-miss)

[[a force. mighty (wonderful) work. ability. abundance. strength. miraculous power.]]

y'all, THIS is the virtue that fueled Christ's miracles and mighty works, purposed to bring others to repentance and selective to only those who would respond in faith (Matthew 13:58) (Luke 1:35). dynamis virtue wasn't exclusive to Jesus during that era. many sold-out followers were given miraculous power so that others might "taste and see" that the true Savior had indeed come - John the Baptist, the disciples, Paul, Stephen (Luke 1:17) (Luke 9:1).

#micdrop you. guys. EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN is each uniquely given dynamis in many forms through the Holy Spirit to live like Christ in this world (Matthew 25:15) -- that our faith may not stand in the (Pharaoh-like, Babylonian...) wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:5) (1 Corinthians 15:43) (2 Corinthians 6:7). He gives us strength through his might (dynamis) in our 'inner man' (Ephesians 3:16). His dynamis fills us with joy and peace in believing that we might abound in hope (Romans 15:13), strengthened "unto all patience [cheerful, hopeful endurance] and longsuffering [mental/emotional strength in difficult times] with joyfulness (Colossians 1:11). this Holy-Spirit-power gives us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3)! and the beauty of it all is that His dynamis in us is made perfect in our weakness. #hellosomebody we labor thanks to his dynamis in us (Colossians 1:29). HE is our strength..."exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).

...most gladly therefore will i rather glory in my infirmities, that the power [dynamis] of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9b

#canigetanamen

now let's take it one further. here's where it all melds together.

New Testament 'virtue': ARETE (ah-rhett-ay)

[[manliness (valor); excellence: - praise, virtue]]

if we want virtue, if we want arete...to live a praise-worthy life we must 'waste' our days away pondering things that are true. honest. just. pure. lovely. of good report. this is where that typical assumption of "virtuous woman" comes into play. THAT lifestyle brings arete (philippians 4:8). now that He has given us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (through His dynamis)...use that knowledge to live a life of glory and arete (2 peter 1:3). again #ijustgaveyoutheanswer virtuous people "show forth the praises (arete) of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 peter 2:9). y'all, it is the NEXT THING we add to our arsenal after faith (2 peter 1:5)! #whatthewhat

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let's face it: it's not just about the virtuous woman anymore. as Christians, we all have virtue beyond our inherent abilities (proverbs 31:29). every Christian is called to harness and unleash godly chayil, godly dynamis and live a life of arete. in our weakness. to His glory. through the Holy Spirit.

#usetheforce

UPDATE: Read part 1 here

characteristics of a biblical [youth] leader

some days being a youth leader is HARD. some weeks, actually. some months...
it's all I can do to keep the basics of the ministry afloat - have class, nail the monthly activity, mail the birthday cards. we talked about this earlier. but i have GOT to put that weariness aside...because it's not of God. if he's called us to this ministry, y'all, we have to live in that calling, intentionally. daily. #lordhavemercy

enter 2 timothy...again. if you're a youth leader in any capacity: according to Paul's leadership testimony in ministry, this is the "daily driver" your kids should know as intrinsically "you."

but thou has fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

2 timothy 3:10

DOCTRINE: instruction * learning * teaching
consider philippians 4:8 (whatsoever things are ______) as a map of how to frame your mind daily as you pass on biblical doctrine to these kids. in all things --> show a pattern of good (beautiful, valuable, virtuous - for appearance or use) works. in doctrine --> show [1] uncorruptness (purity), [2] gravity (honesty), [3] sincerity (genuineness) (titus 2:7). abide in the doctrine of Christ - what did he say? what did he do? #searchitout

MANNER OF LIFE: a bringing up * mode of living
we ought to live in all holy conversation and godliness (2 peter 3:11) "from the first day" and "at all seasons" (acts 20:18). much like the senior pastor, because we also are an example to young believers (or non-believers!), we are called to a higher standard of living than the "average" believer. #sorrynotsorry y'all, we have to make EVERY effort to bring these kids to Christ and give NO cause for them to stumble. period. #thatsafactjack

PURPOSE: a setting forth * proposal/intention * showbread
old testament temple showbread was to ALWAYS be in the Lord's presence - "bread of the presence." with purpose of heart, cleave unto the Lord (acts 11:23). we are called to be extremely serious about this (2 corinthians 1:17). guys - purpose. in. your. heart (daniel 1:8). it will NOT come naturally.

FAITH: persuasion * moral conviction * assurance * fidelity * belief
**faith --> virtue --> knowledge --> temperance --> patience --> godliness --> brotherly kindness --> charity**
be an example in the faith (1 timothy 4:12), follow after faith (2 timothy 2:22)...in all things, approve yourself as a minister of God (approve = introduce favorably -- commend to every man's conscience in the sight of God). i.e. IN the hard times
IN much patience, afflictions, necessities, distresses, stripes
IN imprisonments, tumults, labors, watchings, fastings
how is this even possible? not by YOUR might, that's for sure. (speaking of: i dare you to Strong's "virtue" - 2428) #hewillbeyourstrength
BY pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost
BY love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God
BY armor of righteousness on the right hand & on the left, honor & dishonor, evil report & good report
putting away your flesh, your short-comings, your insecurities to adopt his miracle of love through you:
AS deceivers; and yet true
AS unknown; and yet well-known
AS dying, and, behold, we live
AS chastened, and not killed
AS sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing
AS poor, yet making many rich
AS having nothing, and yet possessing all things

anyone a fan of "numbers" in the Bible? yep. count 'em. SEVEN. perfection.
oh, and did you notice these are SEVEN characteristics listed in 2 timothy 3:10 that we're breaking down here? #mindblown

but i digress...

LONGSUFFERING: forbearance * patience * fortitude - mental/emotional strength in difficulty
lean on Him for mental/emotional strength. i'm certainly not going to pretend this line of work isn't taxing on ALL LEVELS: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. it is. i know. but we ARE able to bring our mind and emotions into submission at ALL times. remember, this is part of the "daily driver" your kids should know as intrinsically "you."

CHARITY: agape * a love-feast * affection
affection - like how you feel about your spouse, your family, your closest ones. that. that is what these kids need from you. a love-feast. not irritation. not judgment. not burn-out. #thisisserious

PATIENCE: cheerful (hopeful) endurance * constancy * continuance (waiting)
are you in it for the long haul...cheerfully? consistently full of hope and joy? if this is where God's called you, so help us, Lord, you need to be. #speakingtomyself

seem impossible some days? i get it. i do. a freebie tip (also from Paul):

now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

romans 15:13

boom. #ijustgaveyoutheanswer you got this.

that [virtuous] woman tho: take 1

ladies.

i used to think virtuous meant moral and good, that a virtuous woman was selfless, humble and pure in all her deeds.

i wouldn't say that description is wrong per se, but it certainly doesn't accurately capture the entirety of the original Hebrew (and Greek) words we have translated into English as either 'virtue' or 'virtuous.'

#justsaying i bet the true idea of a biblical virtuous woman would surprise you (if you actually knew what was implied by the word 'virtuous'). AND i bet a lot more of you would be drawn to be and feel empowered by the thought of being a 'virtuous' woman than you think.

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Old Testament 'virtue': CHAYIL

(kha-yill -- you know, that guttural sound)

[[a force. valor. strength. able. power. valiant. might.]]

based on the scriptures in which chayil appears, virtue seems to be either (1) inherent -- whether a virtuous person or "band of men" that's virtuous or (2) a source of power supplied from God. Pharaoh had chayil. King David had chayil. the Babylonian army had chayil. priests had chayil. Boaz had chayil. so, to me, it's definition seems to be something like this: the force, all the 'substance' of a person or entity that makes a leader or power - either carnal or spiritual.  #usetheforce ish. hah! hey, i never said i was an expert at forming working definitions. :P

according to Old Testament scriptures, people of godly virtue are made rulers. they're chosen to fight. #mightymenofvalour they're consistently singled out from the whole. they're captains of the forces, heads of houses, a force to be reckoned with, able men that fear God. men of truth that hate coveteousness; help the brethren; are prudent, industrious, skillful, sober. they're on the front lines drawing their sword with the heart/face of a lion and the swiftness of a mountain-deer. whose hearts God had touched. and they are HARD to find.

can you just ponder that last paragraph with the spiritual in mind, friends?

"drawing their sword" on the front lines -- aka a spiritual leader, fighting for souls on the front lines armed with His Word. and the only qualification: able men that fear God (1 chronicles 9:13), whose hearts God had touched...ones that willingly offer themselves to the LORD -- capitalized LORD, battle LORD, power-filled LORD (2 chronicles 17:16). THE REST IS SUPPLIED TO US. remember, godly chayil is a source of power supplied from God. otherwise, it's just...chayil. not that chayil in general is anything to be toyed with. Pharaoh, Babylon...they had some serious chayil and it landed them as the world superpower of their day. #justsaying in every scenario, godly chayil...was GREATER.

as our source of chayil, the Lord is alway with us in battle (judges 6:12) (1 samuel 16:18). he girds those who stumble with strength. he touches our hearts to be the King's mighty men of valor (1 samuel 10:26). he strengthens our hands so we can be valiant...and "he maketh my way perfect" (psalm 18:32).

his spirit in us -- wind, breath, life. in our post-resurrection days, it's the Holy Spirit -- godly chayil, not the chayil (might) of man.

...not by might (chayil), nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 

zechariah 4:6

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#spoileralert other than an exception we'll get to later, all of the females in the Bible coupled with the word 'virtue' happen in the Old Testament...in conjunction with chayil.

#mindblown

the first virtuous woman mentioned in the Bible? oh no, my friends. it is not the Proverbs 31 woman. boom! it's RUTH. not only did the entire city she lived in know that she had chayil, but she brought her husband Boaz chayil in their entire region when building his house with him - establishing, making permanent his family. i mean, hey, apparently every wise woman does this (proverbs 14:1). and i'm pretty positive it wasn't just literal (with children) because all the uses of godly chayil in regards to wealth point toward a view of wealth as inheritance with God not worldly gain.

house and riches [are] the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent ((considers, ponders, teaches (wisdom))) wife [is] from the Lord.

proverbs 19:14

ok. get this: a virtuous woman is described as a "crown to her husband" (proverbs 12:4). she surrounds, compasses, encircles (for attack or protection) her husband.

she's her husband's glory.

her price is far above rubies (proverbs 31:10) -- "all things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her" (proverbs 3:15). guess what else just so happens to be better than rubies, a precious jewel? WISDOM (proverbs 8:11) (proverbs 20:15).

hmmm.

this is not the dainty (but hard-working) moral, good, selfless lady i had conjured up.

with the strength of the LORD, a wise warrior woman on the front lines of Christianity, armed and dangerous with the Word, a hedge of protection from the Enemy for her entire family -- fueled by God's strength to help her husband as one raise up an inheritance for Him, for God's ultimate glory.

#micdrop #womanup

i'll just leave all that right here.

there are two other words translated in the Bible as 'virtue' but...let's just take this slow... #brainexplosion

UPDATE: Find part 2 here

the [true] heart of a youth leader

our patience had grown thin. our efforts were minimal. we were literally running on fumes. 

so we threw in the towel.

then, less than a month later, we found ourselves in full, heated discussion almost daily about the future of our middle school kiddos. one night, knee-deep in our (now usual) discussion, my husband stopped mid-conversation and said seriously, who else in the church right now is up late, sitting at the dinner table, pouring over the future of these kids and what they deserve? #facepalm the answer, my friends, was most likely no one.

God was speaking.

#tbh sometimes you have to follow God's leading, and let your heart catch up later.

so we did.

this week, i sat down to intentionally soak up the day's excerpt of 2 timothy for our church's bi-weekly women's study...and walked away with a leadership vision for our middle school youth ministry. haha! #frt the Lord's work seriously never ceases to amaze me. oh my...

and the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

2 timothy 2:24

GENTLE

gently lead them (isaiah 40:11). call them near with meekness (humility) and gentleness (2 corinthians 10:1). be pity-filled, courteous, compassionate (1 peter 3:8).

wisdom from above is first pure. then peaceable. gentle. easily persuasive. full of mercy and good fruits. impartial. sincere and unfeigned (james 3:17).

APT TO TEACH

hold fast the faithful Word you've been taught so you can: (1) exhort (2) convince those that contradict and speak against the Word (titus 1:9).

PATIENT
the definition in this context literally means enduring of ill - to hold oneself up against / put up with things that are worthless / depraved / noisesome. hellooooo middle schoolers! patience. cheerful, hopeful endurance. constancy. in longsuffering (mental / emotional strength in difficult times), forbearing one another in love with all lowliness and meekness (ephesians 3:13). forbearing...and forgiving (colossians 3:13).

doing this, you guys...doing this in meekness will allow God countless opportunities to (1) give them repentance "to the acknowledging of the truth" that they may (2) "recover themselves out of the snare of the devil" - who has taken them captive at his will (2 timothy 2:25-26).

wow.

excuse me while i spend the rest of my life working toward this approach #amiright?! but it's biblical. it's what we've all been called to do in any area of ministry we're in. we can't just enjoy bits and pieces of His Word. we've gotta take up the cross, too. their souls are worth it.

take heart...HE WILL BE YOUR STRENGTH.