Women of privilege. Tough questions.

Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; & from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48

Tall order?

What does it mean to be a Christian woman in America?

Does our American-ness give us a unique perspective on God?

Does our Christianity give us a unique perspective on life?

Working backward:

Does our Christianity give us a unique perspective on life? Yes. It’s Grace, & freedom through Grace. Freedom to be exactly who we’re supposed to be for the Glory of God.

Does our American-ness give us a unique perspective on God? Yes. Indeed, it does. Stay with me…

If you own the computer through which you view these words, if you’re sitting in a comfortable place, safe from enemies; if you are a woman & you can read (at all), then you’re among a privileged minority of women in the world. American women have these privileges simply because of where we live. Regardless of our socio-economic status, level of education, etc., American women are collectively – by comparison to the rest of the globe – privileged.

We’re part of a nation that elevates women through education, opportunity in the marketplace, access to healthcare for ourselves & our families, & freedom to worship freely without fear of torment. Those who claim ownership of American ‘women’s issues’ will beg to differ with me, but that’s their right. (Get it?)

And yet we don’t realize, don’t truly understand, how deeply fortunate we are; & that this ‘fortune’ is from God. Even as I write, I confess that I don’t have a working understanding of women’s experiences around the world. A Thousand Splendid Suns was enough for me. At least in my head, I get it.

At a Beth Moore event a few years ago, a friend & I scanned the sea of 20,000 women’s faces & asked each other, “What would God do if all these women claimed His will in their lives? What would He do in our churches, our communities, in our country? What a movement of God’s power we would see, & it could be through women!” It was a humbling, awesome prospect.

What does it mean to be a Christian woman in America? Our American-ness, if we’re paying attention, gives us a unique perspective on what God can do with us & our privilege, if we yield it to Him. First, we have to claim it. We have to step out of ourselves, our yearning to complain, our materialism, & acknowledge our blessings. God has mercifully allowed us privilege & blessing in order that we may be a blessing, a force for good in the world. We must be willing to step out of ourselves, step up to our blessing & humbly approach God. When we begin to do that, I believe He will use us to be a blessing in our homes, our communities, our country, & ultimately in our world.

Tall order? Yes. What a privilege.

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