By ANONYMOUS WARRIOR POET
Dear Sister in Christ,
I hope you are growing each day in the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Although there are a lot of challenges and distractions to divert you off the path of righteousness, I pray that you will continue on and not lose faith. Have you noticed the lack of godly men in this generation? Yes, I suppose you have; you probably feel it even more acutely than I do. I want to encourage you, however, not to give up. There are many, many men that God is raising up to be leaders in this generation.
I have often been tempted to doubt that God is actively working in young women’s lives. You see, from a warrior-poet’s perspective, the set apart girl is nearly extinct. Wherever I look, I often see semblances of girls living out Christianity, but it usually falls by the wayside when it comes to interacting with guys. Although this is discouraging, I refuse to believe that truly set apart girls do not exist — I know they do, and I trust that God is building you to be such a woman.
I am writing this letter in hopes that it will encourage and inspire you to be an excellent sister in Christ. Because there is much confusion on how this might practically look, I have included several ideas on how you can encourage Christ-built masculinity within your brothers around you. The advice that follows is written for the intent of interacting with your brothers in Christ in an honoring and beautiful way. You have an amazing opportunity as a sister in Christ to inspire warrior-poet manhood with great excellence, so I hope this is helpful.
#1 – Give Hope by Living the Christian Life
Have you ever met a guy who says the right things, attends church and youth group, but seems to be doing it for some ulterior motive? Perhaps to impress a girl? I know this must be disheartening for a girl to see, and conversely it is also disheartening for a guy to see a girl act in such a fashion. Because of this, by you simply living out the Christian life, it actually brings hope to a godly guy like a pool of water in a dry desert. There are brothers in Christ all over the world wondering if there are any women today that are truly seeking Christ, or if they are all out for their own desires and using Christ as a means to an end. Your example of pursuing Jesus can be extremely impacting for the men around you and will be the most important part of you being a sister in the faith to them.
#2 – Smile for Jesus, Not the “Selfie”
I know, I know, taking pictures of yourself and posting selfies all day long is the in thing to do, but it honestly is not very inspiring to a warrior poet. Don’t get me wrong, not all selfies are bad. But the principle here is that to be a great sister in Christ, focus on pointing others to Jesus instead of yourself. I admire my sisters and see a tremendous beauty within them when they are outwardly focused and pointing people to Christ. Inversely, there is a repugnance within my soul when I see girls preoccupied with themselves even when they may be outwardly attractive. Principle being, you will find that selflessness is a great blessing to your brothers in Christ.
#3 – Make Lasagna, Not Top Ramen
Have you ever found it funny how excited some guys get over Top Ramen? It isn’t that we relish the flavor of the cheap noodle soup with little-to-no nutritional value (although some flavors might be okay). And it isn’t that we think our decorating choice of stacking packages in the shape of the Eiffel Tower is the pinnacle of decorating prowess (although it is creative in its own unique way). But simply put, many men do not possess some of the skills that women seem to specialize in. I know some sisters who are extremely gifted in decorating, cooking, sewing, writing, and many other wonderful skills. As a member of the Body of Christ, all of these abilities can be used to strengthen others who are not quite as gifted in these areas. For example, say a brother wants to host an event to meet people in the community and share Christ with them. You might hear about this and collaborate with some other sisters to offer to help in some areas where he might not be particularly skilled. You may offer to decorate tables or organize snacks and refreshments. This seemingly small action can go a long way and really support your brother.
#4 – We Really Are Just Friends
When you get along with someone really well, it’s easy to let your guard down. Just because a guy is your brother in Christ, doesn’t mean you should treat him like your biological brother. With your actual brother you don’t need to worry about him interpreting your actions as romantic pursuits, as a brother in Christ may. Because of this, you will need to guard physical touch, converse without spilling your heart to him, and maintain a dignity in all your interactions. This is a big help to warrior poets, as it can be very easy for us to misunderstand things done or said in moments of unguardedness.
I hope this letter has been helpful. From my perspective it is hard to find a women truly seeking after Jesus and the good of others, but I know that there is hope. Just knowing that you are reading this and desiring more of God is a testimony to my soul to keep pursuing Christ and to stand strong for all the sisters in my life. We may never meet face to face, but on behalf of other men like me, thank you for desiring to live this Christian life, and to be an encouragement to your brothers in Christ!
Sincerely,
A Warrior Poet for Christ