By Katja Ludwig, Women's Ministry coordinator in the Netherlands
At the women's conference in Northampton, England, Tammy Tkach encouraged us to discover and develop our spiritual gifts and to think of ourselves as precious flowers in God's vase. I talked about this with two friends and we started to think about the royal priesthood God wants us to be.
Many times we have heard from the pulpit: God wants us to be kings and priests, or we are kings and priests. God says this to both men and women, and the church has always taught it. But it's only recently I discovered the encouraging effect of saying to myself, I am a queen and a priestess. It's even more powerful when you say this out loud.
I shared this insight with my two friends and we tried to picture ourselves either in royal robes or the attire of a priestess in God's kingdom. The longer we talked, the clearer the picture became.
One friend saw herself as a queen, while my other friend and myself felt most comfortable picturing ourselves as priestesses. My friend saw herself as a worship leader, making sure God received all the praise that is his due, her face constantly in his direction. I felt more like a vessel through which God's love would flow to others, opening my arms to bless them.
Of course this was only a fantasy, a feeble attempt to imagine what our roles could be in the kingdom of God. But an encouraging power is behind such a picture: The more you get used to thinking of yourself as either a queen or priestess, the more you realize God actually sees you like this. And he wants you to act accordingly! Not just in his future kingdom, but now, in his present realm.
I think it's time we women realize God has saved us in this life to really be his body, through which he calls and saves others. Jesus is King and High Priest; we are his body. So it only makes sense that we are kings and priests, queens and priestesses, right here and now.
So I would like to encourage all my sisters in Christ to start thinking of themselves as strong queens and passionate priestesses, each with her own unique qualities and tasks, advancing the kingdom of God together with their brothers, side by side. Ask God to show you how he sees you. Don't be afraid to wear the royal, priestly garments you'll find he has already given you, and be a queen, be a priestess, be his body!
Feb. 24, 1998, WN, page 15
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