Becoming a GODLY WOMAN | What to Know and How to Start

With age and life experience, I have come to appreciate and have even become fascinated with the journey of faith. With every season of learning and development, I have struggled, argued with God, thought I was crazy, and doubted my ability to do anything right. However, at the end of each of these seasons I can consistently look back and be able to identify the specific lessons that God had for me during that time. Seasons of development have been critical to my faith, my career and my impact as a wife, mother, and friend. It is within this space of seeking God with all areas of our life, faith journey and self-development that we become a godly woman.

Table of Contents

What is a godly woman?

I find that there is so much literature out there about how to be a godly woman, but most are discouraging. What I find interesting about so much of this content is that it tends to feel more like a checklist or a framework of how to act (not act), say (not say), dress (not dress), and so on. However, when I look for biblical examples of godly women (Sara, Ruth, Ester, etc.), the most prominent and consistent characteristic that is found in these admirable women of the bible is the continued pursuit of God. This is not a single action, but is a life-long commitment to developing within their walk of faith.

It is within this intersection of desiring to be a godly woman and the vulnerable state of learning and development that God is able to transform our hearts and minds. When we allow God to take us through seasons of growth, we become that godly woman that we strive to be. Not always in the sense of we “get it right”, but because we are actively seeking God and God’s will in our life. When women pursue God’s will, the fruits of these efforts positively impact their home, family and community.

Why is it so important to be a godly woman?

Godly women are in short supply and the evidence of this is seen in our sad and broken world. In his famous sermon, “Payday Someday,” Dr. R.G. Lee reminds us to

“Search the pages of the Bible all you will; study history all you please. And you will find one truth that stands out above some other truths. What is that truth? The truth that the spiritual life of a nation, city, town, school, church, or home never rises any higher than the spiritual life of women. When women sag morally and spiritually, men sag morally and spiritually. When women slump morally and spiritually, men slip morally and spiritually. When women take the downward road, men travel with them. When women are lame morally and spiritually, men limp morally and spiritually. The degeneracy of womanhood helps the decay of manhood.”

When I initially read this, I felt offended. How could women be responsible to this extent? As I mulled over this, God told me to look at this from a different angle. Instead of seeing women as a faulting point, this points out women’s significance in the world. It demonstrates how, as women, WE determine the spiritual temperature of our household, WE determine societal trends, and WE determine the marketplace. As Christian women, we can no longer complain of the state of the world but then fail to do our part in bringing God’s goodness back into the broken areas of the world that are in such desperate need.

How do we become the godly women who are capable of doing this work?

The word ‘godly’ in the bible is referring to pious or holy. Some parallel terms are devout, devoted, reverent – each of these being adjectives. The similarity of each of these adjectives imply to ‘stay the course’ – remain consistent. Therefore, this is where our continued, consistent, devoted seeking of God and God’s will comes into play.

Faith is often referred to as a journey. A godly woman never ceases her faith journey, but, instead, consistently pursues God in all aspects of her life: marriage, parenting, finances, household, friendships, you name it. The world will limit God to a box on Sunday. God wants our whole life – even the messy. This goes back to that intersection of desiring to be a godly woman in all of these aspects AND being okay with the fact that we will require development in each area.

When we pursue God and allow him to take us through seasons of development and growth, our life will improve and the fruits of our labor will ripple to those around us. Think about it, if you could be more of a godly woman in your marriage and as a parent, what would that do for your family? What if you could be more of a godly woman even to yourself? How much would your soul benefit if you allowed yourself grace, forgave yourself, boldly believed in God’s goodness for you?

How to start or reignite your faith journey and become a godly woman.

Are you ready to start becoming the godly woman that you’re called to be? Are you already hesitant about the time and effort that it will take? Do you already have a list of conflicting priorities scrolling in your mind? God already knows all of these things. He knows your busy and understands the weight that you carry each day. However, God deeply longs for a better connection with you, his daughter.

Each person’s journey of faith is different. However, none of us are exempt from the work that is required. This is where the principle of ‘staying the course’ gains traction. Becoming that godly woman happens only with your effort. Here are some things that you can start today.

Prayer.

Prayer can be difficult to stay consistent with. However, it’s a habit that can easily be formed. If you struggle with finding time to pray, try attaching prayer to something you do on a regular basis: when you wake up, go to sleep, eat, while you clean, during work commute, set a reminder in your calendar.

Struggle with what to pray? Try the A.C.T.S prayer. A is for adoration. Thank God for who he is in your life and for his goodness. C is for confession. Share your areas of struggle or what you’re stressed about right now. T is thankfulness. Give God thanks for already working out your situations for his glory. S is for supplication. Ask God for his intervention and direction.

Devotion.

Create a time each day to spend in God’s presence. Some focus on carving out time first thing in the morning. But, the time of day doesn’t matter. Find what works for you. The importance is that you spend intentional time in God’s word, in prayer and focused on what God has for you. If you need help on how to create this time or what to do during this, check out the resources linked below.

Be encouraged!

Being a godly woman is a tall order for anyone. But don’t let this discourage you. Faith is a journey. The only way to becoming a godly woman is to continue pursuing God’s path for your life. God will work out the details – showing you where you need to focus during each season of life. Some seasons will be focused on career building, other seasons will prioritize family, and others still will be working through those dark and messy corners of your personal life. God can teach us in all areas of life.

Each season of life is different and is an opportunity to continue on the path of faith. But, the only way to add finesse to your faith is by consistently inviting God into each space and being obedient to his will. If you’re looking for some tangible direction on how to start pursuing God’s purpose and will for your life, I encourage you to review the resources below. These have been powerful tools in my life and have helped many others as well!