Lillian Lartey

Mighty Woman of Valour.

How do you see a Mighty Woman of Valour? How is she depicted? Is she a successful career woman? Is she strong? Does she have loads of money, wear the best in designer clothing and eat in the best restaurants? Does a Mighty Woman of Valour drive a fancy car with a ‘show style’ house to match? Is she, perhaps, a cleaner, carer, homemaker…., or even ‘superwoman’? Do you see yourself as a Mighty Woman of Valour? Who is a Mighty Woman of Valour?

Everyday we cross the paths of other women, each fulfilling different roles within our society – mothers, daughters, career progressors, carers, business owners, drivers, managers, queens, princesses and more. Is this a Mighty Woman of Valour? To find out who and what a Mighty Woman of Valour is, we need to explore this title at a deeper level, and go back to our roots.

Mighty Woman of Valour – Who are You?
The dictionary describes each word as:

Mighty – able, bold, capable, potent, powerful, robust, stalwart, strong, sturdy, valiant, vigorous.
Woman – feminine, adult human female.
Valour – boldness, bravery, courage, fearlessness, gallantry, heroism, intrepidity, spirit.

Here we have a generic meaning of the title ‘Mighty Woman of Valour’. However, as women born out of God, it only seems right to go back to our source (our roots) to know how God depicts us to be a Mighty Woman of Valour. After all, He was the one Who created us, gave us a name and an identity. We need to know what our identity is, what our purpose as ‘woman’ is before we can stand up and call ourselves a Mighty Woman of Valour. To know who you are, you need to know where you came from.

Mighty Woman of Valour – How Did You Become?
As we all know, the creation of the earth and mankind was God’s idea. He created us for His pleasure. He created man (male) first to tend to the earth and look after the paradise of the Garden of Eden. God saw that it wasn’t good for man (Adam) to be alone tending to the Garden and that help for man would be required. This is where woman came in. God put Adam to sleep, took a rib out of his side and formed ‘woman’. And the purpose of woman? To be a ‘helpermeet’ (read Genesis chapters 1 & 2).

I believe that it is God’s heart for us, as His women, to stop living up to the identity today’s society has placed on us and we need to return back to the true identity our Heavenly Father has for us. God never created us to wear the identity of a ‘superwoman’ – going off and planning our own destinies, chasing that career, money, husband, 2.4 children, the house, exotic holidays and storing ½ million in the bank. Now, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong in being blessed with such luxuries, however, women, we will never achieve such things if we conform to the world’s methods (society) of obtaining that mentioned. God never created us to be ‘superwomen’, He created us to be a ‘helpermeet’.

A ‘Helpermeet”?
A ‘helpermeet’ is an identity and role that has a selfless attitude, a self-giving nature who serves to bless others and glorify God, and not for personal gain.

Now, the term ‘helpmeet’ does not only pertain to helping a man in the context of marriage. Being a helpermeet also pertains to assisting those around us and people God brings into our lives.

Back in the Garden of Eden, at the time God created Eve, her role was to be a helpermeet only to Adam, as at that time, he was the only other human being she could assist on the earth. When they both became widowed, Ruth became a helpermeet to Naomi (read the book of Ruth), Mary, Martha and other women were helpermeets to Jesus during His time of ministry on the earth; and Esther was a helpermeet to her people when plans were being made to destroy them (read the book of Esther). So, as you can see, there are many examples (and more, not mentioned here), of women fulfilling their role of a helpermeet in the Bible.

Women of God, we have been purposely designed by our Creator to be ‘helpermeets’. We are to assist those tending to the Kingdom of God here on earth. This is our primary role as women and there is no escaping it.

Trying to fulfil the role of ‘superwoman’, ‘independent woman’, and whatever other role society tries to place on us, results in us doing everything in our own strength, stress, role confusion between men and women, divorce and problems in marriages, unfulfilled destinies, and in a majority of cases, unanswered prayers – simply because we are not in the correct role, at that time, to receive from God.

The role of a helpermeet is an honourable one, which began with Eve and still continues with us today. By adopting ourselves into this role will provide us with practise and prepare us for when we will be serving our Beloved Heavenly Bridegroom in our eternal home (read Revelation 19:7). After all, you don’t step into promotion without prior training first.

Mighty Woman of Valour – Fulfilling Your Role.
Now that we are aware of what our role and purpose is, as created by God, and where we come from, we need to know how to fulfil our role as a ‘helpermeet’.

1. Repentant Heart.
First, get before God and repent of ‘trying’ (because that is what we have been doing, women…), to fulfil a role society has placed on you. We don’t have to chase the things the world has to offer. When God created Eve and placed her into her role as a helpermeet, He had provided her with everything she would require. I believe God will also do the same for us, once we are faithful to step into our helpermeet role.

2. Discover Your New Identity and Wear It.
From the moment you asked Jesus to become Lord and Saviour of your life, He made you into a new creation. By His shed blood, He wiped away all your past mistakes, sins, your low self-esteem, independence, etc., and has re-birthed you into a spiritual baby. With that re-birth He has given you a new identity. Some references include:

• 2 Corinthians 5:11-18 – you are a new creation in Christ Jesus and you are an Ambassador of God.
• Genesis 1:26, Psalm 139:14 – you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.
• Romans 8:1-17 – you have been delivered from the bondage of society and condemnation, and now have a new life in the Spirit (Holy Spirit).
• Roman 12:1-2 – you no longer need to live according to what society (the world) says you must live as a woman. Allow God to renew you for His glory.
• 1 Corinthians 2:16 – your mind is now like Christ’s, therefore, see your new role as a helpermeet from God’s view, rather than the view of the world.
• 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 - your natural, feminine beauty reflects the Lord’s glory as you are transformed into His likeness and your helpermeet role.
• Philippians 4:13 – you are more than able to fulfil your role as a helpermeet more efficiently in God’s strength rather than in our own.
• Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Peter 3:16 – although Paul emphasises the role of the married woman to her husband, Paul’s message also ministers to single women, whether they desire marriage, or not. As a helpermeet, our submission is also to Christ Jesus (first and foremost if you are single).
• Proverb 31:10-31 – the ‘Proverb 31 Woman’ as we know her, is also described by Solomon as a ‘Virtuous Woman’, ‘A Wife of Noble Character’ and a ‘Worthy Woman’.
• Ephesians 1:5 - you are adopted by our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus.

It will take time to fully receive the revelation of your new identity and role as a helpermeet. The way you see yourself, now, will determine how you will function as a Mighty Woman of Valour and in the role of a helpermeet. What do you see when you look in the mirror? How do you see yourself? It is so important to get God’s approval on who we are as women. You cannot function as a helpermeet until you see yourself as God’s helpermeet.

Don’t just stop with these scriptures. There is plenty more God has to say about who our identity is in Him in His word. Ask Him to guide you and give you wisdom and more insight on your role as a helpermeet.

Once you make the decision to totally let go of your ‘superwoman’, and ‘societal’ role, and step into your original role as a helpermeet, God will be faithful to see to it that you fulfil the role with the minimal of effort on your part and with every bit of assistance from the Holy Spirit. Allow God to carry out the transformation and watch how He will be glorified in everything you put your hand to do as His helpermeet.
God bless you.

Lillian Lartey.

In Part 2 of this exciting insight into being a Mighty Woman of Valour, read how the helpermeet role can be fulfilled if you are a single, or a married woman.
Single gentlemen (Mighty Men of Valour), read up on the importance of selecting a helpermeet and not a superwoman (and how to spot the difference), and how married Christian men can encourage and help their wives to fulfil the role of helpermeet within their lives.
I will also share on how God has transformed me from a ‘superwoman’ into a ‘helpermeet’, and guiding me towards being a Mighty Woman of Valour.
Until then God bless.