Category Archives: Uncategorized

God's Strength

Posted on by
Reply

Saturday was a true display for me of black Christian women who find their strength in the Lord. This was during the prayer luncheon of Ebenezer AME Church in Detroit, where my sister, the Rev. Sharon D. Moore, is the assistant pastor. The prayer luncheon was one of the first events leading to Ebenezer’s women’s month, whose theme is “Pursuing His Presence.” The standout prayer for me was by Dr. Valerie Abbott, general practitioner and pediatrician.

Before she prayed, Dr. Abbott told the women not to rely on doctors and nurses but on God because it is He who uses them as instruments of His healing. Her prayer went on to ask God for healing in the lives of women with various health issues and was a great foundation for the keynote speaker, the Rev. Dr. Velva Burley, minister of community relations at Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit.
burley
Rev. Burley seemed to epitomize the woman I have been challenging us to be: one whose priorities and strength come from God, and she challenged us to be the same. In her introduction, Rev. Moore told how Rev. Burley felt compelled to and did cancel a speaking engagement to be with her young son on an out of town sports championship trip; when she made the speaking commitment, her son hadn’t yet had his engagement. Though she had given the name of a replacement, the group didn’t understand why she cancelled. But this was the sacrifice of this single mother, who raised her son while completing seminary; it took her eight years because of her son being her priority. She was able to succeed because of God’s strength.

So she challenged us to remember that God has called us to be His witnesses and that we have resurrection power inside of us to be able to proclaim His mighty works (Acts 1:8). The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that each believer in Jesus Christ has and that is the Holy Spirit. As I reflect on what our priorities should be and how we can accomplish those priorities (which should be God-given), I am assured that what I set my mind on will be accomplished if I put my faith and trust in Him: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Feminist Notions

Posted on by
1

I told you I have never considered myself a feminist, but consider the notions I had as a strong black woman (and maybe you did or still do have) that could be considered feminist:

    1) Men and women are equal in all ways.
    2) I don’t need a man to provide for or protect me.
    3) We will split everything 50/50 in my marriage (bills, duties, etc.).
    4) I’m not in favor of abortion for me, but I believe women should have a choice to decide what they want to do with their own bodies.
    5) You should be able to love whoever finds you loveable and you find loveable, no matter what gender.

As I examine my former thoughts, I realize that I gave priority to my womanhood; I considered my existence by giving preference to my female desires with little or no regard to the negative effects on men or children. These feminist notions truly are from the human spirit and not the Holy Spirit, but they made me feel good about myself and humanity. I believed that humanity could evolve from the bondages of patriarchal boundaries by removing the boundaries to freely choose unrestrained egalitarianism or even matriarchy.

Yes, we are free to choose, but we are not free to choose any natural consequences of our decisions. When we as Christians decide what’s best for us apart from God, we have eliminated Him as God in our life and have taken the throne (Judges 17:6, 21:25). Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and if we believe that, our decisions have to reflect that.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Lose Control

Posted on by
Reply

One day last week I was fed up, spiritually spent and didn’t have the remedy to get filled. God told me to call my sister, but I reasoned that it was too early. I didn’t want to tell her that I felt like I was in a spiritual wasteland, that my weariness had caused me to be weak, that while I desired to do what I needed to get spiritually strong, I felt too physically and emotionally weak to do it. I didn’t want to say that I was weak, that this spiritually fit strong black woman had become flabby. But God repeated, “Call her,” and I did.

After a few quick updates I had to interrupt her so I wouldn’t lose the courage to tell her I had no idea what I needed to do to escape this place that I don’t remember traveling to. She spoke life to me in so many ways and then said, “I heard the Lord say, ‘Lose Control.’” I knew then why God told me to call her.

I have been talking these past few weeks about the need to give up what we believe is the proper control. My wrestling was that I didn’t want to admit to my sister, my best friend, that this spiritually mature woman was having a weak moment. I didn’t want her to know that I wanted to maintain the appearance of being in control. How could I, a spiritually fit strong black woman, not know what I needed to do to get through this spiritual crisis? I teach on fasting and studying and applying God’s word. I understand the need to confess my sins and repent of them. And even though none of this seemed to be working for me, I still wanted to be controlling, choosing silence instead of speaking to the woman God ordained to give me my breakthrough.

Losing control (read being controlling) doesn’t mean chaos for your life; it means God’s control of your life, surrendering to His will so that you will not only prosper but also have good success (See Joshua 1:8), the kind that God wants you to have.

Copyright 2009 By Rhonda J. Smith