Spirit – Supportive women

Pastor Pushie Watson on why women are POWERFUL yet gentle

I’IMBOKODO — STRONG WOMEN

The common belief that women are strong is spot on. But we are even stronger than we know. When God got ready to create a woman, He only used a bone, not flesh. Bone is the strongest element of the body; so strong that it virtually cannot be broken in the same place twice. You can break the same bone, but once it’s fully healed, it will be thicker, denser and stronger in the region where the first fracture took place, making the chances of breaking it in exactly the same spot twice very nearly zero. That is how strong a woman is. A woman will carry and give birth both physically and spiritually, while simultaneously looking after her other children — even if she is forced to do it alone. She will lay aside feelings of loneliness, isolation and neglect for the precedence of what she believes lies ahead. She knows that giving birth to her baby, her purpose, her calling and all that lies within her means there are some things nobody can do for her. When it comes down to it, she will muster the strength to push out what God has placed within her.

And yet she is tender at the same time — strong on the outside, but soft on the inside. She is both powerful and gentle. She possesses a strong mind but a soft heart, because she was created from a man’s rib (the same rib that covers and protects the heart). A woman was made to be loved. God did not take her from the head, to stand above a man. Nor from the foot, to be beneath him, but from the heart so she could be alongside him, and be loved and protected.

Mosadi o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng

Women are indeed a wonder. To those still wondering why there’s a whole month dedicated to South African women, the reality is this: For most of the year, month after month, day after day, women put everyone before themselves. She supports his dream, takes care of her children, is there for her friends and family

If you’re not going to win the race, don’t trip the sister in front of you. Push her over the finish line so she breaks the record.

and runs her home like a Fortune 500 company without ever demanding pay, overtime, reward, recognition, or a day off. She is simply aware of all that’s expected of her because we’ve been conditioned to be defined by our roles, often at the expense of the well-being of our souls. After many years of living for everyone other than for ourselves, our own identity sometimes eludes us.

And no matter where I go — from Africa to America — the stories are the same. Every conference I speak at, no matter where in the world, I see the same woman. Different country, different economic background but same story. We are more similar than we are different.

I can distinctly recall when I first started speaking at women’s conferences a little over 10 years ago. I had to work hard to convince my listeners that we are beautiful. Self-confidence was mistaken for arrogance and it was almost more acceptable to put oneself down, as if life hadn’t already done enough of that. I remember having to be persistent in my message that, regardless of race, shape or ethnicity, we were all beautifully, fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God. And although it was initially received with hesitation, I persevered. I continued to speak what I believed to be true until I began to witness a gradual rise of the selfesteem of women everywhere. Soon we were no longer skating gently on the surface, but could go deeper into the heart of the matter that had clouded the true essence of our strength and beauty. How we feel about ourselves on the outside often begins way down on the inside. Eventually I saw us begin to reach a place where our selfworth didn’t rest on the opinions of others.

As women we have evolved. We have come a long way. And yet we strive to be better. There is something magical about the tenacity of a woman that does not permit her to quit. In all of her challenges, she has somehow managed to raise politicians, doctors, businessmen, presidents and world-changers, and is often at the helm of a success story. And the world has taken notice. Right here in South Africa, we have begun the dialogue for equality. Gender parity is about equal recognition, access, opportunity, and freedom from systemic prejudices. Nothing about it denotes reverse advantage. Women are not asking to advance at the expense of the male gender, just simply seeking opportunities to excel in their gifts. In a culture of ‘blessers’, ‘slay queens’ and social media, if women strive to be confident, we will be afforded the same opportunities as our male counterparts, with the same pay for the same positions. We will not tolerate or even succumb to the risk of potentially abusive relationships in exchange for a designer handbag, rent money, car, bond payment, or child support, because we will be able to afford all of those on our own.

My prayer is that we one day be afforded the same opportunities to be bosses, CEOs, managing directors, business owners, employers, senior pastors and ministers because none of these positions require anything that a woman does not possess, or would not be able to acquire with proper education and training. When a society is soliciting from only one half of their gender population, they are already at a deficit. The nation that masters the ability to explore the full potential within both their male and female population, will be in a league beyond any other that is still pooling from only one half of their citizens.

The word of God is full of great examples of powerful women who, despite challenges and opposition, were able to rise beyond their trials to be the catalysts that change cities and save entire nations. From the woman at the well with a questionable past, who got an entire city in Samaria saved, to Esther who used her beauty and wisdom to save the Jewish people from execution — the Bible is evidence that from the beginning of time to the present, we women have always possessed within us the ability to birth, influence and impact nations regardless of trials.

What a glorious time to be female. I am so proud to be a woman. I totally adore and am inspired by the beauty and resilience of women across the globe.

So while it’s becoming ‘fashionable’ to employ and promote women into senior positions, let us as women not only co-operate with gender parity by assisting each other to rise, but let’s be the most visible, loudest and greatest cheerleaders of each other. That PHD (Pull Her Down) syndrome is so outdated. This a new era where we empower, encourage and inspire each other to greater heights and where we fix each other’s crowns without telling anyone that it was crooked in the first place. Your success is my success.

“If you’re not going to win the race, don’t trip up the sister in front of you. Push her over the finish line so she breaks the world record.”

I am confident that we can get there. I have full belief in our capabilities and so does the enemy. In fact the devil is greatly aware of a woman’s influence and potential. That is why he’s sought to oppress and suppress us for so long in hope that we never discover who we are. But the devil is defeated. We are strong, we are powerful, we are amazing. So to all the strong women out there...

Happy Women’s Month. Love ya, P

‘There’s something magical about the tenacity of a woman that does not permit her to quit in all her challenges.