Hi Bubbling Readers,
I have been out of town enjoying a much needed vacation and spending time with my family. Great fun and eye opening!
Be on the lookout for posts about my trip, coming soon!
Through Faith Village, I have the opportunity to review books. I am reading right now, The Measure of Success by Carolyn McCulley and Nora Shank.
I often have had questions about feminism and Christianity.
Can you be a Godly woman and be a successful woman? The answer is yes you can.
The authors provide detailed backgrounds of their lives and what they had to go through in their personal and professional lives.
On the back of the book questions are asked.
“Can a woman be feminine, godly, and ambitious?
Should a woman work?
Is work only for women who need the income?
Is there any sanctified ground between the stay-at-home mom and the aspiring executive?”
Some of other questions that come to mind have been:
Is a woman considered less successful if she has a career; but is child free?
Can a woman still be successful and be submissive to her husband?
McCulley and Shank address some of these questions and give detailed history and examples of women lives and how they achieved success from a biblical perspective which is so refreshing to me.
One of my favorite statements in the book is that a woman’s worth is not based on what you do, our purpose is to be a light and shine that light. Value and my worth is in Christ alone and daily putting him first in my life.
So many times we get caught up in our value for having this title, making this sum of money, riding this car, having a home in this trendy area and the list goes on. It is nothing wrong with having these things; however your sense of worth is not because of attaining them.
“Jesus says the day we should live for is when we hear, Well done thy good and faithful servant.”
I found that when I read the book I had to reread chapters sometimes because I wanted to make sure I understood what point was being addressed. Be prepared to underline in your book if you get a hard copy or highlight if you have a tablet.
One example that I reread in the book that stood out to me was the Chapter 7 on Identity.
“When your work is your identity, change can shake that sense of identity.”
Identity and sense of self worth?
The best identity to have is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I totally agree with the authors that developing and cultivating a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior gives me the ability to manage all the different roles I have from day to day.
The scripture in the book resonates this message:
First Corinthians 4:7
“For who makes you superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?”
The book makes you think about what really matters and really takes you through self-examination.
The book is planned out in three sections and flows very well.
The Story of Work
The Theology of Work
The Life Cycle of Work
I would recommend this book because if gives an overview of women and feminism from a biblical perspective and speaks to all women no matter what stage of life they are in at any given time.
Follow!