Too many women fight against each other. In my single days I knew the scenario of women at war especially well. Entering a restaurant on a Friday night, the other women would immediately size you up.
Whose outfit is better?
Whose figure is cuter?
Are you competition?
Sadly, these battles don’t stop as time passes and we can easily find ourselves competing against one another.
Is she a better mom?
Better wife?
Is her life more put together? Prettier? Happier?
Why does she get those things when I want them too?
But our relationships don’t have to be this way. I recently read through Jan Greenwood’s book Women at War for a second time, and I have to tell y’all about it!
Jan uses personal life experiences and biblical principles to illuminate healthy female relationships and calls us to a cease-fire on toxic female relationships. She provides practical steps for application and gentle direction towards areas of healing in our hearts and minds.
An easy and enjoyable read, Women at War ministered to my heart and encouraged me to be a warrior for fellow women rather than buying into the lies of the enemy and waging war against them.
“What you do matters. What you think has value. What you say is powerful.” – Jan Greenwood, Women at War
If you’re like me, life circumstances make the war very plain. Evidence of the battle is all around us, including relational wounds inflicted by those we trusted most. But as Scripture tells us,
—we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12, NLT
Jan’s book caused me to stop and consider the power of healthy female relationships in my own life. Why would the enemy spend so much time, and invest so many resources resisting these connections … unless he’s aware of a powerful outcome we don’t recognize yet? What good could come from these relationships—even the troubled ones—if we learned to be better advocates than adversaries?
Psalm 133 talks about how good it is when Christians live together in unity. I chuckle as I write this, thinking of how good it feels to sit in a group of friends when everyone is unified. No awkward glances or biting words. A place where God sees fit to command His blessing, attracted to the peace and unity of our relationships.
I encourage you, choose to be the agent of positive change. Bringing peace and cultivating connection instead of comparison and competition. Women, we may be at war, but it’s not with each other. Let’s recognize the true enemy and kick some behind.
This article is adapted from a post originally published at thejenweaver.com.
Header Image Credit: Pixabay
Final Image Credit: Jeremy Cai, Unsplash
I had to read YOUR post a second time, Jen. So good, so true. I look forward to checking out this book for myself. Love seeing your talent shared via Inspire a Fire!
Thanks Cathy! The book is tremendous, I know you’ll cherish it! 🙂