Biblical Counseling for Women: Women and Theology

The word theology used to scare me when I first became a Christian. I was under the impression that it was for pastors and really smart people to study, but never lay-people like me. Boy was I wrong and I'm so grateful that the Lord showed me through His Word and through others that theology really does matter. You see sister, what you know and believe about God will dictate how you respond to trials, get through a time of suffering, fight sin, love your husband, children and others.

Aimee Bryd, in her book “Housewife Theologian” says that she encounters many people that say to her, “I know that I am a Christian. I have my faith, and that is good enough for me. I don’t feel like I need to make it all complicated with theological stuff.” Amy is not alone. I hear this response in the voices of the women I counsel. From time to time, I will hear phrases such as, “Please, can we just get to the practical ways in which I can love my children?” or “Just tell me what I have to do relieve this depression and why are you having me study the attributes of God?” Practical application is great and much needed, but when we study the rich theological truths about God as our creator and who we are in Christ ( indicatives), we will grow to have such affections for Him that the practical (or imperatives) will flow from a heart that loves the Lord and not out of duty.

So why does it matter that women should desire to study theology? Paul tells us in 2 Timothy Chapter 3 there will be all sorts of difficulty in the last days. He also goes on to list out many character qualities of evil people that we are to avoid. But notice in vs. 6 how Paul points out that these evil people and false teachers will creep into households and capture weak women burdened down with sin and will lead them astray by their own passions. These women are not looking to Jesus, but rather they are weighted down with sin that clings so closely to them. Why are they so weighted down with sin? They were burdened down because they are “always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of truth.” This causes me to believe that these women were weak, foolish, and did not having a good understanding of who God is and a love for truth. These women were always learning, but the knowledge they were gaining was not wisdom from above, but rather they were listening to ungodly people who perverted the Gospel.

Ladies, we are still in the last days and this text is for all of us to take heed to. I am a biblical counselor to the women in my congregation and to my community and I am always shocked at what women today are filling their minds with. There is a lot of bad theology in our culture today and even teachers that claim to be Christ followers that use a lot of psychology and feminism in their teaching that will take us captive. These teachers intrigue us and shout at us to have more self-esteem, to look out for the interest of ourselves, being a keeper of the home is demeaning, God wants me to be happy, etc. The women in this text were always learning, but I have a pretty good feeling they were not learning the right stuff. They spent their time studying other topics that tossed them to and fro in all kinds of directions, but never spending time saturating their minds with the knowledge of God, His Sovereignty, His love for them in Christ, and many other truths. John Piper says: “It is not God’s will that women be weak in their discernment, burdened with sin, and led astray by passions. It is not God’s will that women be vulnerable to creeping moral and theological error from those who possess a form of godliness and deny the power of it."

I want to help us think about how can we equip and encourage the women we counsel and ourselves from becoming what Paul describes as a “weak women.”

Let’s be women of the Word and to see to it that no one takes us captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition but desire to be holy women who hope in God.

Proverbs 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.

Grow in your understanding about God and have a high view of Him. When you’re faced with constant battle of temptation and burdened down with sin, the right knowledge of the Lord and truth will help you fight and not be captured.

Stacie Gibson is a wife to her husband Matt of almost 20 years. Together they have four children, including a daughter with special needs who is blessing to all who meet her. They serve together at Grace Baptist Church in Dansville, NY and are involved with the church’s counseling ministry. Stacie is a keeper of her home and loves to read, share God’s word with women, and spend time with her family.