There Is A Difference Between Being A Strong Woman And A Woman Of Strength

Would you consider yourself to be a strong woman?  One who stays the line, gets the job done while managing 100 different other activities, runs on fumes and still manages to smile?

I thought so.

Do you ever get exhausted by being the one who has to be "in charge" all the time?

Do you ever find yourself playing the role of the "power player" at the expense of your femininity?

I coach a bunch of exceptional women, who, like you, are very strong willed and driven.

And do you want to know what every single one of them has told me?

THEY TOO, ARE EXHAUSTED IN THAT ROLE. 

They all said how tiring it is to be a Strong Woman, how much they dislike where the current culture of Women is headed, how often they are criticized by being "harsh" or "sharp around the edges," yet at the same time, feel completely disrespected once they let their guard down.  

Mostly, how hard it is to maintain a romantic relationship as a Strong Woman-whether or not they work outside of the home.

I've got some Good News for you!  Something that will give you a fresh spin on your current perspective, and provide you with some comfort and excitement for the years ahead. 

There is a difference between being a strong woman and a Woman of Strength.  The main difference is the Power Source and whose guidelines she follows.

A strong woman is rooted in society's guidelines and gets her power from herself.   

A Woman of Strength is rooted in God's guidelines, and her power comes from Him directly.

That kinda hits ya right in the kisser, doesn't it?

It did me!  After all, I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs and salespeople where all of the men have VERY STRONG personalities and REQUIRE an equally strong woman to hold things down at home.  It certainly didn't make me feel any better having been a charge nurse in one of Chicagoland's busiest ERs, or an Instructor for a room full of Firefighters and Paramedics where STRONG was necessary for survival. 

One thing's for sure:  When God speaks to you, He doesn't mince words.  He puts the teaching plain as day out there, and immediately begins working on your heart to "groom you."

All of us go through our personal walks with God.  Now I don't know about you, but I have been known to ignore His gentle whispers (c'mon-I can't be the only one!!), and for some reason, was only able to "hear" Him when the "whispers" turned to an "anvil on the head" moment.  Wait, you too?  haha

So here's what I know:  God will continue to allow you to completely FLOUNDER until He can get our full-blown attention. 

Let's just say, He finally got mine.  And let's also say that I was probably one of His more difficult children. 

BUT...in the end, God always gets His way.  It's our choice as to whether we want to do things the easy way (that wasn't me) or the hard way (that was me!)

Now, coming out of what I call "The School of God" is a challenge because you have to take His teaching and APPLY IT to today.  It's the difference between seeing something on paper and seeing it in real life.  So when I started Coaching women exclusively, I felt it was important for us to have a Role Model.

But who, in this Modern Day would that be?  

Someone who embodies the true nature of a woman, and exemplifies the qualities of integrity, strength, grace, femininity, and love.

Someone who not only honored God's Word, but had a job, carried her own and had a family with a THRIVING, BEAUTIFUL MARRIAGE. 

Are you ready? 

The Proverbs 31 Woman...My belief is that she is the best Role Model for today's Women:  The Quintessential Woman Of Strength.  This woman has it goin' on!!

She's a Real Estate Investor and an Entrepreneur

She made clothes for her loved ones

She had a garden

She was beloved by all and had a flourishing marriage.

But the biggest kicker and "Wow Factor" was that she spoke with wisdom and kindness...as in all the time!

Eureka!  That's EXACTLY who we need today...she's PERFECT!

(Now I know she seems like a RIDICULOUS standard, so it's important to know that we're not trying to emulate her like a bunch of groupies, nor should we compare ourselves to her and then put ourselves in the corner when we don't measure up.)

Here's the Good News:  As with everything in God's grace, it's not about PERFECTION.

It's holding the standard of God's design for Women-even in today's society-and striving for that; so that no matter where you are, or what you do, you can rest assure that you'll be stepping in the right direction, and leading others to do the same.  We'll continue to unpack a little more about this woman as time goes on, and how we can be both the woman our family needs AND the Woman of Strength God has called us to be.

Be Blessed! 

Nichole