So can the Christian woman be a soft girl?
Should a Christian woman pursue the soft girl life...
As a black christian woman and an active soft woman, I think there is an interesting dance on how we balance the two but it's possible with these 4 points.
But before we get started, let's define what is the soft girl life.
A soft life is defined as a a lifestyle of comfort and relaxation with minimal challenges or stress, which is the opposite extreme of the hustle culture.
And as Christians, we have to first remember that our God did not guarantee a life of comfort.
Quite the opposite.
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
And if you’ve lived long enough, you know that some troubles you cannot escape.
But here’s the beauty of that statement, that Jesus promised that we won’t face those troubles alone. In fact, in John 17, there’s a beautiful prayer that Jesus prays over us.
Yes, Us.
And let’s not forget the most beautiful promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us and He is with us always,
So while we will not have a life of comfort and relaxation absolutely avoidant of stress and challenges, there are other ways we can live out a soft life.
Appearance.
When you think about being a soft girl. What comes to mind? What does she look like, what does she sound like, dress like or even smell like?
I have a feeling we have a few images in mind of women who are beautiful, adorned in expensive jewelry and brand name clothing.
And as Christian woman, there is nothing wrong with putting effort into our appearance, dressing nicely, maintaining good hygiene and being physically active.
Let me make this absolutely clear, and loud enough for all you in the back, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look pretty, soft and feminine. Especially if you’re single or even if you’re married or at any stage.
There’s a reason why God made men visual.
And as an owner of a fashion brand, we're all for dressing your best and feeling good. We want you to see yourself as the woman you've always dreamed of and that's why our still is modern elegance, not-branded but still classy.
The trap is when what our outer appearance becomes our idol. When we depend on the brands we wear to speak for us rather than remembering that we were bought with a price.
So, look good but let's not be like the pharisees that were beautiful on the outside but empty on the inside.
So there’s this beautiful story about Elijah in the bible. Elijah just performed this miraculous feat, and Jezebel heard about it, and threatens Elijah. And Elijah, being the man of God that he is, ran.
He finds a bush and falls asleep.
An angel provides him with a meal before he is lead to the mountain of God.
And I think that’s a beautiful illustration of how important self-care is. Elijah had performed a miracle but was probably exhausted so he reacted emotionally which was why he ran.
And here we're watching God meet the physical needs first - rest, eat, etc, - while leading Elijah back to Him for the ultimate healing.
And that’s why I’m so for the self-care aspect. Softies, we need to be praying and spending time with the Lord, journaling, working out and eating well.
I'll be the first to say that I struggle with this part, as there's always something to do but we need to rest in the Lord.
And this is where I would go one step forward, we can actively avoid stress and worry because we know the One who holds everything in His hand.
We should do everything we can to protect the joy that comes from being in relationship with Jesus. And we should fight against anything that tries to rid us of our joy, and that’s usually in the form of anxiety or worry.
Some of my favorite verses on this includes -
Should we avoid toxic people?
Yes, the bible talks about avoiding bad characters in proverbs.
But again, there will be times we will have challenging people in our lives.
And as Christians, we need to have discernment in those moments because we can't try to ignore those relationships because we want a comfortable life. It's about what God has for us to do.
And his plans and purposes are always better than ours.
Which this point brings me to my final point. We are told to pick up our crosses daily, dying to ourselves each day which does make it challenging to live out a soft life.
Because sometimes God may be calling us to something different. Something greater.
So, yes, you can pursue this soft life but keep in mind that your Lord and Savior may have something better than that in store for you which is far more rewarding than any soft life.
So those are my tips. I hope that helps you.
Let me know what your tip takeaways are. If I left something out, drop in the comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks. Bye