Becoming a woman like this

 "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit; with his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him. Jeremiah 9:8 NASB

A couple of Sundays ago I was in the women's restroom after service. I was listening to the other women speak about the message. One after another came in and was praising the female pastor for her message. Praising her! Not one woman had any criticism in their talk. I was encouraged by how they were loving on this woman. I realized how rare this is. More times then not many will tell you what they think you want to hear, but only then to go to someone else and say complete opposite. They ambush each other with their words.

- I want to sit at a table where women build one another up, rather than criticize everything they do; the minute one turns their back.

- I want to sit with women who are not so insecure that they can't encourage growth and prosperity in another.

- I want to sit with women who aren't so jealous that someone else will get something; they won't.

- I want to sit with women who are less about condemning and judging one another, but more so are willing to fight and grow with each other.

- I want to sit with women who give each other space to make mistakes and grow from them.

- I want to sit with women who give each other grace and patience to heal.

The only true way to sit with women who are like this is for us to choose to become women who are like this!

How do we become this?
We choose to speak peace, and we mean the peace we speak. We offer each other grace and gentleness. We put down our own agendas and opinions, and we allow each other to heal when wounded. We apologize, take responsibility when we've wronged others, and we ask for forgiveness. We humble ourselves. We stop the manipulating and intimidating one another. We give grace to allow each other to make mistakes and grown from them. We wash each other with only what the Bible says. The big one! We go through the fire and the trenches with one another, and we fight for them until they are out. Through all this we keep our mouths shut and we stop gossip before it starts. Absolutely no one is better than another and everyone goes through stuff, but we were never intended to do it alone.