It’s Time to Change the Atmosphere
As women, we are created to be atmosphere changers; we set the tone of our homes and by extension, our society. When there is a twisting in the identity God intended for us, the results affect all of society, not just the women. We become objects and as a result, view ourselves as lesser human beings in need of validation. We then compete for this validation. When I was a new Christian, I had a thought that went on to plague me with shame, guilt and condemnation for many, many years. I never acted on the thought, even sought counselling from Lifeline at the time, such was the devastation that I could ever think such a thing. Looking back, I now understand that the thought that had created such shame in me, known only to God, the Lifeline counsellor and myself, had been viewed through a highly sexualised lens. Now able to view the same thought by means of a very different lens, the whole context has changed. I see how the enemy (the devil, Satan) had twisted my thought process through a manipulated worldview, thereby robbing me of peace for years! Competition for validation takes many forms. It can be the feminist worldview where we have to compete with men to be as good or better than them. It most certainly can be exhibitionist and/or body shaming in competing for attention in the eyes of men and each other. The one thing this competition for validation has in common is the theft of true value that God has placed on women as nurturers and agents of change. As an extension to the issue of the sexualisation of women, men are also robbed of their true identity, value and destiny, being created by God to be very visual in their sexuality. The enemy has contrived a situation where men are completely controlled by what they see. When they see only sexual imagery, men are constantly distracted and therefore diverted from discovering and entering into the true riches of what God has for their lives. The enemy sought to derail my destiny right at the start of my journey with the Lord with a single thought, but thankfully, all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. What the enemy planned for evil, God has turned around for an incredible revelation for his purpose in my life, and in the lives of women and men everywhere.
