[ENG] Most of woman dreams to be a powerful woman. The weaker that woman feels the more she wants to be powerful. But what is a woman’s power exactly? Is it them who could proof that they can do things more than men, that we called powerful? Is it them who don’t burst out to tears when the hardship comes, that we called powerful? Is it them who have big muscles or high position, that we called powerful?

Let me say that a woman’s power doesn’t lay on those things. That is how people look at our cover outside. Sometimes we work too hard to present our outside appearance to show that we are powerful but forget that : Power doesn’t come from the outside – it comes from the inside then comes out for people to sense it and not only could see it by their eyes. -Marlisa Tenggara-

I learned the meaning of Woman’s Power from one unnamed woman from the bible. And please let me tell you some of her powerful stories.

R E S P E C T

⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. ⁹ She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. ¹⁰ Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” (2 Kings 4:8-10)

A powerful woman is the woman who knows what to do with all the gifts that makes her a woman. This Shunammite woman was busy with a well-to-do things because she respected all the good things she could do as a woman. She might be a rich woman, but it didn’t make her a spoil one. She even had a very generous heart to offer other people (Elisha & Gehazi) a hospitality, she respected every chance to help people with her kind heart.

I don’t agree with the thoughts of women should be the head of men or at least being aligned at the same level as men. In fact, man were created before woman. I know that every woman could be head of man, we do have that capability – well i’m too a woman. A powerful women are those who knew that even they have those capabilities to win over men but pressed herself to be on the back stage instead. A woman is different with man, and i mean in such a very great differences! I don’t see the reasons why we should be aligned with men.

Women are known for her generous, kind heart – gentle words – charming smiles and charisma – ability to manage multi tasks – endurance – sensitive heart – positive energy and thoughts, etc. These are some things we have that is so different with what the guys have.

Women are created to complete men, vice versa. Not to win over them! How could we complete men if we are exactly the same with them? How could we complete them if we are competing over them? – A woman could speak in a way that a man couldn’t with her charming words to help him wins over his business and partner, a woman could be more sensitive to others waking him to see what chances he had missed , a woman could be the light with all that she is to encourage him to keep on walking ahead and don’t give up. And we can’t do these things without respecting the part of man and woman. It may be seems that woman is always on the back stage, yes, but know that the stage could not even perform the shows if the back stage isn’t ready. In fact, all the heavy tasks are on the back stage, right?

A powerful woman respects.

P U R E

¹³ Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.” ¹⁴ “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” ¹⁵ Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶ “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”  (2 Kings 4:13-16)

A woman is honored for her purity. A mother for example is honored for her pure love to her family and children. If a man is honored for his firm heart then a woman for her pure heart.

The lesson we could learn from the Shunnammite woman is that she helped the man of God with a pure heart without wanting something in return. Even when she was offered a favor, she refused it and said that she is provided well, even though people could see that there’s something she needs at that time. She helped and did things not for her deficiency but with a pure heart. And even after Elisha foretold her pregnancy,she was afraid that Elisha would thought that she did all the troubles for him was for something in return. How often we serve God with wrong motives only for His blessings and not with a pure heart to only please Him?

Do you know the secret of having a pure heart? That is, when you put aside all your desires even needs and help people with a pure heart, God will bless you even more with what you don’t even dare to ask through other people – even when you don’t dare pointing out your desire – God will point it out through your Gehazi. Elisha in this story was very anxious to help the woman back, it means that this Shunammite has moved God’s heart with her pure heart. I imagine that God through Elisha were wondering how come this woman went all the troubles for Me and didn’t even open her mouth to ask a favor that is actually was offered to her? Such a precious woman, she shines more than any best pearl in the world. She has made God’s so curious about her.

A powerful woman keeps her heart pure and make everyone and even God, curious.

B O L D  &  S E N S I T I V E  

¹⁷ But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. ¹⁸ The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. ¹⁹ He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ²⁰ After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. ²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. ²² She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.” (2 Kings 4:17-22)

Another thing about this woman is her bold faith. Without faith, this story won’t be continued to the story of her son. I can’t imagine her feeling as a mother to hold and see her son’s dying half of the day and then died on her lap. I can’t imagine her tears and broken heart. I’m sure she didn’t even want to leave her son and keep praying. But when the son’s died, we can see that she didn’t just lose her hope and bury the child! Or even told her husband!  With the guidance of The Holy Spirit- she knew exactly what to do! Again, with all respect she asked her husband to help her – without telling him the boy has died, because she was too believed that something is wrong, she could sense it with a woman’s sensitivity that this is not how God’s covenant would look like.

Talking about sensitivity, there are a lot of woman who dislikes being called sensitive while actually It is not always a bad thing for a woman to be sensitive. It is God’s gift to every woman anyway, right? Use it well ! Use our sensitivity to sense God’s calling and will, to sense other’s needs, to sense what is not said by words, and to sense everything that happens with wisdom just like this Shunammite woman.

And by this we could also learn that, woman nowadays often likes to add the pressures on her man by little things, right? The Shunammite woman teaches us today that when there’s something we could do to solve the problems, i think we should try it first before we magnify the problem. Don’t be a woman who love to magnify problems, by godless chatter, anger, suspicious, gossips, and sloppy decisions.

A powerful woman is both bold & sensitive.

I N T E G R I T Y

²⁵ So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! ²⁶ Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said.²⁷ When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” ²⁸ “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” (2 Kings 4:25-28)

I could say that she deserved to be mad to Elisha. Curses probably could just came out from her mouth. Isn’t that is what we do often to God and others? Despite of cursing, she chose to shut her mouth for godless chatter and only speak blessing and faith words. Could you say that you are alright when your son is dead? I am touched by how this Shunammite woman reached Elisha and took hold of his feet – i sense her bitter distress just like Elisha sensed it without need to know what she needed to say. I could see how hard it was for her to keep it all by herself without saying a word since the boy’s dead, to everyone, not even to Elisha. Not a word of “dead” is out of her mouth! Not once.

You might have that friend who always asks your favor like 24/7 until sometimes it annoys you. And usually you also have that friend who almost never wants to bother you with your favor, she will only ask your favor when it’s super urgent! This Shunammite woman is like the 2nd friend of yours, who didn’t want to bother other people actually, but this kind of person – when she’s asking help, i think even you will help her, right? Elisha know from the beginning that something might have happened because this woman won’t open her mouth easily to favor, that’s why Elisha asked tons of questions about everything that could have happen to her.

God gives wisdom to those who keep her mouth clean. All the words of her are wisdom created. When she said, “Didn’t i tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’? – i could sense that it’s not out of anger, but out of faith! It’s just like she was trying to say, “You know well that i didn’t even ask for a child that day even though i need it – and when i said that day don’t mislead your servant, i know that when God finally gave me a child, He didn’t give it to me to mislead me – He didn’t do it to only raise my hope! So, please do something because this is not right! This is not how God wants it to be, i could sense it!”

What a powerful & sensitive heart she has! I am in awe every time i read this scripture and what she said, my eyes are like teary by her power and faith. Not everything could be said by words, but even though when you keep it to your heart and God, The Lord will make the people around you, know what you’ve been through and do something without you even need to say a word!

A powerful woman keeps her integrity.

 

³⁶ Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” ³⁷ She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out. ( 2 Kings 4:36-37)

She didn’t take her son. She did the very first important thing : she gave thanks to the Lord by fell at Elisha’s feet as the Man of God and bowed to the ground then took her son. When the blessings come to your life, remember woman, to put your praise to the Lord the source of everything at the first place before enjoying all His grace.

A powerful woman is able to put her God before her desires & needs.

Last but not least, Notice how a small kindness she’s shown to Elisha & Gehazi by providing them hospitality turned out to be a great miracle that’s awaken her child from the death and saved her family. A little kindness you show today will always bless you another day – do it with a pure heart and you’ll see how God is actually counting them all.