SOFT AND TENDER
There was a time when females were equated with softness, and men with toughness. I believe that females should be strong. We need to be strong physically. Childbearing and caring for a family is not for wimps. We need to also be strong emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We must be strong to stand against the devil and all evil that would come against our home and family.
The Proverbs 31 woman is described as a strong woman: “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is above rubies.” The word “virtuous” is “chayil” and means “strength, valiant, and is usually used in the context of an army.”
But although we need to be strong, we must not lose our softness. It is one of the beautiful characteristics of being female. I love the way the Hebrew uses organs of the body to express emotions and affection. There are four different Hebrew words for “womb “ in the Bible. Let me share the meaning of just two of them.
“Racham” comes from the root word “to fondle.” It means “to cherish a babe in the womb, to love deeply, to be compassionate, to show tender mercy and pity.” This word is used interchangeably in the Bible for the womb of a woman and also to describe God’s compassion and mercy.
“Meah” comes from a root word meaning “to be soft.” It refers to the internal organs including
the reproductive organs--the bowels, womb, and uterus. It speaks of man’s emotions and also
of God’s emotions.
The womb is more than a literal place to conceive and nurture a babe. It is the seat of our compassion and tenderness. As we embrace our womb and childbearing, we return again to a soft spirit and tender heart. And ultimately we reveal the wombness of God--His compassion and tenderness.
God has chosen His female creation to reveal His mercy and tenderness to the world--firstly to our children and then to a hurting world. No wonder 1 Timothy 2:15 says that we will be preserved through embracing childbearing. We are saved from becoming tough and hard. Motherhood keeps us soft, tender, and beautiful in our femaleness.
Be encouraged today,
Nancy Campbell
Painting by Steve Hanks
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