Women Who Served - The Women Series

Today in The Women series we meet six women who served. It is a great privilege to introduce a dear friend who has blessed us with a message for all women. Our prayer is that many will be touched by the truth in the words here. Please continue with us in this series by checking the blog or you may follow by email and receive updates to your inbox!

The Women: ...Who Served

Living the Song

Guest post by, Joanna Martinez

Follow the name of each woman listed. Read her story in the following scriptures:

Anna – Luke 2:36-38; Dorcas – Acts 9:36-42; Lois and Eunice – Acts 16:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14-15; Lydia – Acts16:9-15, 40; Priscilla – Acts18:1-3, 18, 24-28; Romans 16:3-5

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” --John 4:23

I think if we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we can come up with the wrong ideas of what something means, or looks like. For example what does the word serve mean to you?

I was convinced I had a pretty good idea what service entailed. I knew what it looked like, what it involved, and I thought that only certain people were “called” to be “in ministry”. Through looking at the lives of these six women, Anna, Dorcas, Eunice, Lois, Lydia, and Priscilla, I hope we will have our hearts enlightened a little more to what it means to serve.

As followers of Jesus, you have been called to a life of service, of ministry, and worship. We are all ministers. We all have a testimony. It’s not just for a selected few. The gifted ones. The talented ones. Service equals worship.

Do you think of a time of worship as only singing a song of praise or playing an instrument? Of course these are acts of worship. They are ways in which we worship. But worship is really so much more than that. Worship is all our lives being lived as a song. A testimony. We testify who God is with our lives.

As we look at the testimony of these six women, we see that they are all uniquely different. Whether age, marital status, gifting, or profession. They are all different. You are different. I am different. We have not been created in cookie cutter molds. God doesn't want clones. He doesn't want all melody. He doesn't want an all string orchestra. He wants YOU. Just as you are, fearfully and wonderfully made. He has a plan for your life. A very specific purpose for you.

Anna
So we start with Anna. We see that she is a prophetess. She NEVER left the temple day or night. She prayed and fasted and LIVED there. She loved the presence of God. Anna’s testimony teaches us that worship is being in God’s presence, waiting on Him, through prayer and fasting, listening and communing with God.

Dorcas
Next is Dorcas. Dorcas was a disciple, a follower of Christ. She was well known for doing good and helping out. She sewed clothes for those in need. She was inspired by Jesus, and so the work of her hands, what she did with them, was an act of worship to her maker. Her testimony also tells us that she died and was resurrected back to life. Dorcas teaches us that worship can be done through the work of your hands, and also through trusting our Savior.

Eunice and Lois
In the lives of Eunice and Lois we see their worship in the home. Through the raising of a child to know God. How important is our testimony in the atmosphere of the home! How important is the role of a mother in the lives of her children, and a grandmother to her grandchildren! I must admit this was a struggle for me personally to understand. But God has shown me time and time again of the importance of this kind of worship. He has helped me not to compartmentalize being a mom from worshiping Him. It still is hard at times and I still do tend to separate the two. But His grace always leads me back to this wonderful truth. That I can worship Him through the raising of children.

Lydia
Lydia was a dealer in expensive textiles. A business woman. She was also very hospitable in opening up her home for Paul and Silas to stay after being released from prison. She was not ashamed to house these prisoners of Christ. In the life of Lydia we see worship through the act of hospitality, and also through the running of a business.

Priscilla
Lastly, we look at the testimony of Priscilla. She was the wife of Aquilla. Priscilla is always mentioned with Aquilla. This speaks volumes of their marriage and how they worshiped God together as one. They were good friends with the apostle Paul and opened their home to him, where he lived for a year and a half. There was also a church that met in their home. So through marriage, friendship,and opening their home for their fellow followers of Christ to come, we see numerous ways in which Priscilla worshiped the King of Kings.

Does worship look a little different than you had initially thought it to be? Can you see your own self as a testimony of who God is? Can you see that you are vitally important as being part of the body of Christ, to be that testimony, to be that worshiper that worships in spirit and truth?

You are the only one with your testimony, with your story. You may be thinking, “Well, I’m not gifted or talented in this way or that. I’m not witty, or smart, or good at speaking. I am not useful”. But you are!

You see it’s not about the one who is called, it’s not even about the calling itself. It is all about the ONE who has called. It’s all about Jesus. Your usefulness in the Kingdom of God has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with the One who fills you.

Have you been called? If you have believed on Jesus and been born again then the answer is YES! You are part of God’s redemptive plan! We are all like songbooks that are always being written into God’s redemptive song.

The word “purpose” was the first thing that God birthed in me when I began to prepare to give this message. In speaking with my husband he said this to me, and I believe it is of the highest importance for us to understand, “Our purpose is to be loved by God”. It is so simple.

On the final day I die

I want to hold my head up high

I want to tell you that I tried

To live it like a song

--“Where I Belong” by Switchfoot

Written by,

Joanna Martinez

If you would like to participate more with this series on the women of the Bible, click here to purchase your copy of The Women: Part One. A Look at the Lives of Five Women of the Scripture, or visit www.lindaosborne.net.