3 Things You Must Tell Your Daughter About Women’s Rights…This Week

3.) Tell them that God does empower us to have a voice when our rights our threatened, but the model he gives us is radically different from the current conversation taking place.  While some of what the more vocal women are concerned about is fair, much of what they seek and how they seek it is in direct contrast to God’s word and authority. I’m particularly concerned with the “nasty”—their word, not mine—manner in which they approach the dialogue. Ashley Judd’s speech at the Women’s March was particularly offensive to me. Is this really how we change the opinions of political leaders?

I find it, in one word—rebellious. I Samuel 15:23 says, “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” That verse was spoken by the Prophet Samuel to King Saul. God doesn’t tolerate rebellion when you are a King, or when you are opposing one. And he has strong language for it. Our daughter’s cannot be taught that this is the correct response to governing authorities, even when they are evil!

But…he does give us examples of confronting our governmental leaders.

Queen Esther used fasting, prayer and respectful dialogue to confront an evil government. (Esther 4) “Esther and her handmaidens” led the whole nation in an intense period of fasting and prayer for three days leading up to Purim. Amazingly, dark schemes at the highest levels of government were exposed. Esther’s fast effectively reversed the curse and shifted the whole public policy of the Persian Empire in favor of the Jewish people. (Did you know that Purim will be observed this coming Sunday?)

Abigail bowed humbly and gave kind, helpful gifts of food to confront certain extermination for her family. (I Samuel 25) She no doubt prepared that food with the helpful hands of other women in her family. In bowing in humility before King David with these helpful gifts, she softened the King’s heart and he changed his mind about how he would punish the horrible disrespect of Abigail’s husband, Nabal.

These are our biblical models in pursing our rights. Using prayer, fasting, humility, and intelligent dialogue these women changed governments and leaders. These are the radical methods God gives us when our rights are threatened. These were acts of desperate dependence on God not assertions of self0-dependence, and the only thing capable of breaking the oppression of any people group.

Fast and pray for our leaders and nations. What might happen if after we had these three conversations with our daughters, we fasted and prayed with them leading up to Purim asking the God of the universe to appoint us with favor to speak to Kings and Presidents and Leaders the way he favored Esther? What if we asked HIM to reveal the evil that exists and to change the whole public policy of our land? Many are intending to fast and pray from dinner on Wednesday March 8th to dinner on Saturday March 11th. I’m going to join them. Will you?

Be helpful to mankind on Wednesday. This week’s protest is called “A Day Without Women.” Women are being called to strike from paid and non-paid work of any kind, which I assume is to teach men what it feels like to be without women. But we already know the answer to that. God said in Genesis, “it is not good for man to be alone.” He created us to help and affirm and walk beside man, not to threaten and seek  power over them. What if we walked in intentional helpful, humility on Wednesday when other women are striking?

Maybe then, God would be glorified as the defender of women, rather than seeking and bringing glory to ourselves.