Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and I have a message today if you’re a tomboy.
You know when I was a kid I so wanted to be a boy. After all, my name is Joni and I was named after my father, not my mother. My dad and mom wanted me to be a boy, being the last of four girls that I was. When it came to elementary school, I remember in first grade being so disappointed that I was not allowed to wear my jeans and cowboy boots to school. And my favorite TV shows back then? Well, they were all westerns “Gun Smoke,” TV programs about horses like “My Friend Flicka” – remember that one on Saturday mornings -- or “The Lone Ranger.” Even as I grew older, I kept a lot of that tomboyishness way about me – as an athlete, I prided myself in being able to shoot a basketball as good as most boys and there weren’t many guys who could beat me in a foot race. Yep, I was disappointed I was a girl for the longest time. It was only around junior high school that I shed the whole tomboy thing and I began to enjoy being a girl.
I thought about all of this when I came across an obscure Bible verse the other day. It was 1 Corinthians 16:13, and it says simply, "Be men of courage; be strong." This is the only verse I know in Scripture where all Christians – all of them, men and women alike -- are told to act like males; that is, be strong, adult males ready to face battle to protect what's worth fighting and dying for. In this way and only in this way… do I see myself as acting like a man.
Because the Christian life requires us to be strong, doesn’t it; to be of good courage: Stout-hearted courage; bold and brave courage, the kind you see on the front lines of a battlefield. When the chips are down and the going gets rough, when the trials mount up and problems seem to overwhelm, all Christians are told to be men of good courage. I don’t think God is telling us women – those of you listening who are females like me – God's not telling us to act like tomboys, but we are to be ready in battle to protect what’s worth fighting for and dying for; we’re not to be timid and demure about the Christian faith; we’re not to be soft-spoken in our spiritual battles. There’s a strong enemy opposing us and we need to be strong and sturdy against adversary.
So friend, what are the battles that you are facing today? Is it in your thought life? Are you becoming weary under a certain trial that hasn’t let up? Are you doubting the trustworthiness of God, wondering why He seems to have left you alone in the middle of your problems and gone to help some other Christians who seem to be more obedient? Do you compare your lot in life with those others?
Well, take courage from 1 Corinthians 16:13, "Be men of good courage; be strong." And, yes, you girls that verse is written for you because this isn’t the time to cave in and retreat. This isn’t the time to collapse under the weight of the trial. These days are evil! You’ll agree the times around us are dark; and the end, I believe, is very near in sight. So don’t you dare give up. Be not weary in well doing for in due season you will reap if you faint not, it says elsewhere in the Bible. In other words, act like a man and be strong.
And if you need extra prayer right now to stay courageous and strong, please write me, would you, with your prayer request and our prayer team in the morning here at Joni and Friends will take your needs before the Lord. Just write me today at joniandfriendsradio.org and we’ll get on it, we’ll be interceding on your behalf, we’ll be at your back. Again, that’s joniandfriendsradio.org, so stay strong, friend. Until we meet again, be men of good courage, especially you women!
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