By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

Christian women are diverse. We are different ages, different races, and different ethnicities. We live in rural, suburban, and urban communities. We align with different political parties. We have different talents and abilities.

Yet, despite our differences, we encounter the same stereotypes surrounding Christian women. If you asked a stranger to describe a Christian woman, they would probably say something like this: Christian women are brainwashed to be slaves to their husbands. They hate non-Christian women and actively support the patriarchy. They are stupid, vapid, anti-feminist, and bigoted.

Yikes. That’s super negative! You’re probably wondering, “Do positive stereotypes exist?” Great question. The answer is yes… sort of. Christian women are considered good mothers and homemakers. They are gentle, humble, and hard-working. But how you perceive those stereotypes isn’t always positive. Some career-driven women bristle at being called homemakers. Gentle and humble can be used as synonyms for passive and weak.

Can I blow your mind? These stereotypes are coming not only from secular culture, but also from within the Christian community. We’re getting battered from all sides. Sometimes it feels like there’s no winning. But maybe there is a way to change it. Maybe we have the ability to break these stereotypes and show the world what Christian women are truly made of.

Change Starts with You

Women are not weak wallflowers. As daughters of the Most High, we are imbued with supernatural strength straight from the Lord: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). This strength isn’t physical; it’s spiritual. The power of the Holy Spirit lives within us. We can wield that power to do good in the world. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can establish different impressions of Christian women than the negative stereotypes we often encounter.

It’s time to take back how the world defines Christian women. Keep in mind that it’s a two-front war. We must contend with how secular society sees us as well as how the Christian community sees us. That’s a tall order. We can’t change the world overnight. What we can do, however, is change our own thinking. So I have an exercise for you. Answer the following questions:

• What qualities or attributes do you prescribe to Christian women?
• How do you describe Biblical women like Lydia, Priscilla, Ruth, and Mary Magdalene?
• Do your answers from question one align with your answers from question two?

Start small. Plant the seed within yourself first. Hypocrisy will only feed into the stereotypes. We must admit that our own thinking is warped. Change how you think about Christian women (including how you think about yourself) and then you can begin to change how others perceive us.

Remember these words from Matthew 17:20: “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (KJV). We have the power. With a small but mighty faith we can banish negative stereotypes and implement positive views of Christian women.

Women Supporting Women

Real talk. I get nervous introducing myself as a Christian author. I’m always waiting for someone to hear the words “Christian author” and walk off, refusing to interact with me further. My fear is that they think I’m there to evangelize (I’m not) or that they think I’m judging them for their beliefs (again, I’m not). There’s this nagging worry in the back of my mind that I’m about to be face-to-face with those negative Christian stereotypes I mentioned earlier in this post.

The problem I face is that I actually enjoy homemaking. I try to have a humble and gentle spirit. None of this makes me anti-woman. Keeping a clean house has nothing to do with my gender and everything with wanting to stay as healthy as possible. Through humility and gentleness I can extend God’s light and love to others. On the other side of the argument, I don’t believe women should be subservient, second-class citizens under the thumbs of their husbands. I believe marriage is between two people who share burdens, responsibilities, and joys.

What I’m saying is that the stereotypes fuel our insecurities and breed resentment between women. We’ve been taught that “our” side is right and the “other” side or interpretation is wrong. The world loves to pit us against one another. Well, the world has another thing coming. We have the power to change the world and how it views Christian women. It starts by looking within and changing how we view ourselves and other Christian women. Once we can admit that our own thinking has been flawed, we can begin to heal what the world has set out to destroy- our Christian sisterhood.

What Would Jesus Say?

Jesus came to create a topsy-turvy Kingdom where the mighty are brought low and the poor are sat in places of honor. The role of women in the Kingdom is not necessarily the role prescribed to us by society, secular or Christian. Our role as followers of Jesus comes directly from the Son Himself. We are expected to take up our crosses and follow Him. What that looks like will vary from woman to woman but ultimately, we are charged with spreading the Gospel and making disciples.

The Great Commission applies to both men and women. That’s part of what makes Jesus so radical! He knows that all God’s children, sons and daughters alike, are not only worthy to enter the Kingdom but are integral in building the Kingdom. If Jesus would never attribute harmful stereotypes towards women, the why do we allow the world to do so? Let’s be more like Jesus and acknowledge the power of Christian women, committed to one another as sisters, sharing God’s love with others.