EDITOR’S NOTE — The Alabama Baptist staff is happy to introduce a new women’s column to the state Baptist paper. This new column will focus on resources women can use in their lives of faith, whether lived out at home, in the workplace or in the church. The columnist is Jean Roberson, MSW, LCSW — a ministry consultant for national Woman’s Missionary Union. She serves as team leader for the adult team and as director of Christian Women’s Job Corps/Christian Men’s Job Corps and International Initiatives. The column will run the first issue of each month beginning with the June 3 issue. Until then, we will run the column each week as a way of introduction to this new segment of the paper. Jean may be contacted at jroberson@wmu.org.
By Jean Roberson
Whom do you admire? When you reflect on your life, who is the person who helped shape you as a person? Is he or she someone who gave you something or pushed you to become someone? For me, it is a woman who encouraged me and challenged me to think, struggle and grow. If she had not been in my life, then I would be a very different person. In some ways, I am her legacy. Do you have someone like her in mind?
In the church and in the business world, we admire people for different reasons. This is especially true for women. Some admire women who are excellent public speakers. They can create a response in us when we hear them. Others admire women for their ability to dominate the discussion and achieve their objectives. But what really makes a person admirable? Is it the public speaking? Is it the charismatic personality? Is it the assertiveness and focus on attaining goals? Is it the ability to maintain peace in relationships?
Think about the person who shaped you. While we encounter many people with talents and gifts, it is the person who shaped us who truly stands out. It is the capacity to want more for a person than she wants for herself. Think of what Paul wrote when he told early Christians that they could no longer stay babes in the faith. Repeatedly Paul challenged the men and women to become mature in the faith.
It is no different from when my children were learning to walk. I could pick them up and carry them to where they wanted to go, or I could sit close by and watch them struggle, knowing they would fall down. However, I knew they needed to learn to walk.
But how do we do this? How do we become this kind of person? Think about a recent dilemma you faced. Did you settle for the easy answer? Did you push people to grow? Did you wait for others to determine a solution even though you knew what course of action to take? We sometimes shy away from challenging people because we are afraid pushing will affect our relationships with them. However, a woman who is committed to the growth of individuals embraces the challenge to dig deeper and encourages others to do the same. Then we develop our legacy.
A Takeaway Value …
It is OK to tell someone he or she can do better and to try again.
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