I don’t act like her. I don’t talk like her. Dress like her. I’m too quiet. I’m too loud. Am I too much? Am I not enough? Why would God ever use someone like me? I think we can all agree that at one point in each of our lives we have thought at least one of these things.
We try to bend and fold and squeeze into the parameters society wants us to fit into, but we just don’t fit. And, girlfriend, that’s the entire point! We aren’t meant to mold to this world. We are meant to be different and God has given us amazing examples of strong women who didn’t fit the mold of their world, yet He chose them anyway.
Deborah: A Leader Among Men
(Read her story in Judges 4-5!)
I was eighteen years old when I first heard about Deborah. EIGHTEEN. That is probably older than most of you reading this article! Out of all the comments above I was always seen as “too much.” Big personality, big dreams, big goals. It didn’t fit what I had been taught about a “meek and mild” godly woman (but the story behind those definitions and what they actually mean are for another day.) And then I read the story of Deborah in Judges. Wow, what a woman! Not only was she a prophetess, but she also became a judge, a leader, and stepped up to lead Israel’s armies when Barak was too scared to do so. Big goals, big dreams—they’re okay! God gave you that big personality and those big goals for a reason! Don’t try to lessen yourself especially when God gave you those amazing attributes.
Rahab: A Shadowed Past Does Not Define You
(Read her story in Joshua 2!)
You probably sucked in a breath when you read this one. Rahab? The prostitute? Are we allowed to actually talk about this? If it’s in the Bible, God wants us to know about it! I have heard so many sermons and lessons on this woman and they can all be boiled down to this: Rahab may not have made the best choices, but when God gave her the choice to choose Him, she did! Rahab very easily could’ve reported Joshua’s two spies to the authorities. Why would she care about them? She probably would’ve been handsomely rewarded for turning them in. But she didn’t. She chose to hide them and, in turn, they saved her and her family! Later on we read that God took this former prostitute and added her to the lineage of Jesus
Christ. So, if you’ve made some not-so-great choices and are trying to heal from them, God is still there and He still loves you and has a plan for you!
Ruth: Loyal, Bold, Courageous
(Read her story in the book of Ruth!)
When I was a teen, the story of Ruth was always one presented as Ruth being quiet and reserved and that’s how we, as godly women, should be. While there is sometimes strength in silence, this teaching was not completely correct. After her husband died, Ruth decided to stay with her mother-in-law and travel to an entirely new land. Not only that, but she also humbled herself, picking up the scraps of wheat in the field that fell during the workday. So far I see that our girl has had the strength to overcome grief, courage and loyalty to go to a new land, and humility to work hard for even a little bit of food. But then it gets better! Ruth catches the eye of Boaz and eventually our leading lady proposes to him. You read that right! Our girl was not hiding somewhere in a corner. She asked Boaz to marry her! Even in present times we still think this is a radical thing—can you imagine biblical times? Sometimes life throws us circumstances that are difficult, but with God’s help, we can be loyal, bold, and courageous like Ruth.
These are just a few of the incredible women God chose to use, but trust me, there are SO many more. Shiphrah and Puah were two seriously brave midwives who chose to honor God over Pharaoh, risking everything to protect Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:15–21). Esther was a young woman who became queen of Persia and found herself in exactly the right place at exactly the right time to help save her people (Esther 1-10). Zipporah, Moses’ wife, stepped in and took action when Moses had neglected an important command from God (Exodus 4:24–26). And Jael? She knew who the enemy was, recognized the moment in front of her and was NOT afraid to act (Judges 4–5).
And girl, that barely scratches the surface! Keep reading. Keep digging. Get to know the women of the Bible beyond the handful of names you hear all the time. Their stories are brave, messy, surprising, and wildly different—and that’s kind of the point. God didn’t use one “type” of woman back then, and He doesn’t now. There is room for your personality, your gifts, and your story in what God is doing, too!