For the Remnant — An Open Letter to the Women of God
I’m writing this for my fellow sisters in Christ — the female remnant — to say that you are not alone. I often have felt very alone in this rapidly shifting world, wondering if there were others like me out there, looking out, hoping and praying that someone else was looking back. These are lonely times, but we are not alone.
Our world is changing, and has been for a very, very long time. For as long as it’s existed, in fact. Cultures change, fashions come and go, worldviews collide and separate again. In my own short lifetime I have seen great shifts in how people think and communicate.
Often I saw myself as moving alongside but separate from those things. And yet, there are times when I have to look around and ask questions. What is happening? Should I worry? Should I act? What is my response? Most pointedly, how does a Christian woman respond to what is happening in the world? To the conflicts and confusion amongst ourselves and others?
These are large questions, often without simple answers. The place to start is in remembering our role in this world and in the Kingdom of God — who we are and why we are here. Our responses must flow from that understanding, and be directed by it. Without that knowledge, we all are adrift, not connected to God or each other.
I have been a Christian all my life, but spent many years exhausted and confused, head barely above water, tossed by the winds of doctrine. I believe A.W. Tozer would have called me a “carnal” Christian — redeemed and regenerated, but not advancing or spiritual. No one God would be honored by. Looking back on those years, the pain is palpable. I was spiritually numb and immature. Confused and listless, my fearful tug of war with God grew tiresome, and I was weary, but the confusion did not lift.
I looked to scholars and psychologists to guide me, and I relied on my own fortitude to puzzle out the mysteries of life and heal myself. I did intense “inner work,” challenged myself, and relied on the therapeutic skills I trusted. I even became a Psychologist. I would see some benefit, some breaking in the clouds, but could only ever get so far. Every time I thought I was moving in the right direction, toward truth and clarity, I just stumbled back again. I did not understand that I was looking in the wrong place, to the wrong wisdom (Eph 4:13-16).
So when the veil truly fell from my heart, and the scales from my eyes, the clarity I experienced was unmistakable. I saw my own wretchedness and God’s holy goodness. When I heard the truth, I knew that I could not turn away from it. In fact, it seemed as if my whole essence was nodding in recognition, confirming what was true.
For the first time I fully understood my place on this earth and in God’s holy kingdom. I saw what was real, and it was not in the places I thought.
My hunger for the truth only grew, challenging everything I had been taught and all I thought I knew. Did the things I believed in and taught to others stand up to God’s Word, the true test? What did I believe, not because a charismatic pastor or respected Psychologist told me so, but because I could find it in the Word of God? To be clear, it was not my faith in God I was testing, but my faith in the wisdom of men. I wanted only what was true, whatever the cost. That is all I still want. To serve God fully and to see Him clearly, and by extension the truth of myself. This is the pilgrimage (2 Cor 3:15-17).
For myself, I know that I am a stranger and pilgrim on this earth. My King’s path is laid through treacherous ground and I must seek God’s truth and will at every turn, wherever I can find it and no matter how uncomfortable it makes me.
There must not be a price too high that I refuse to follow where God leads me. I cannot go back to striving and anxiety, broken and unmoored in the storms of life. It is too tragic, and Christ paid too much, to let that happen (Heb 11:13-16).
I know I am not the only one, and I want you to know it too. If you are like Elijah on the mountain, thinking “I alone am left” know that there is a remnant — those whom God has preserved, who have not bowed the knee to Baal or kissed the idol with their lips.
No one is perfect, but a heart seeking Truth can find it, and does not need to travel alone. Let us strengthen and cheer each other — the tender, precious women in the body of Christ — and by extension this broken-hearted world we are moving through. May the truth of God light our path, and the strength of His Spirit carry us in faith and honorable love.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
— 1 Peter 1:3-9
Disclaimer: This is a blog, which contains a mixture of my current knowledge and opinions. The information is accurate to the best of my knowledge but may contain omission, errors, or mistakes. I am a psychologist licensed to practice in the state of Washington, but this article does not create a psychologist-client relationship. I am providing psychological information and my own opinions for informational purposes only, and anything I present should not be seen as psychological, emotional, or medical advice or treatment. You should consult with a mental health professional or your primary care physician before you rely on this information or take any action. I reserve the right to change how I manage or run my blog and may change the focus or content at any time.