GOD IS MY STRENGTH
50 Biblical Responses to Issues Facing
Women Today
By Patricia A. Ennis
Christian Focus. 220 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978 1 781 916 421
God is My Strength by Patricia A. Ennis is a useful reference for analysing how one is to live as a godly woman.
The book is organised around 50 questions for the modern woman, which are answered with biblical references and personal experience. Ms Ennis has done the heavy lifting of compiling hundreds of Bible references and examples, and covers a wide variety of topics from hospitality to managing time. Her work upholds biblical ideas of complementarian-ism, submissiveness and servanthood, and helpfully challenges the reader to study her life and see if Scripture is indeed being applied to daily decision-making.
Affecting others
The author also does a good job at helping readers consider how their actions affect others. Advice on caring for widows and cultivating biblical friendships are particularly good. While not marketed specifically for group study, this book is a good resource for groups; there are plenty of talking points and a p p l i c a t i o n ideas to be found in each chapter. And with such a variety of topics covered, it is a book to be studied slowly, discussed and applied.
While full of probing heart questions, God is My Strength is also full of lists on how a godly woman should act. The content of the book is good, but the list-based structure may be problematic for some readers. The reader who is easily guilt-ridden or overwhelmed may find the many lists of ‘how to be a better friend, host, etc.’ to be overwhelming. Such a reader should take special care to remember we are only ‘made better’ at the cross. And the legalistically inclined should take special care to remember that the ‘do-s’ and ‘don’t-s’ of the Christian life should only be considered within the context of the glorious rest we find in the completed work of Christ.
