Berita NECF Newletters

Empowering Women For Leadership
The DEBORAH Principle

Description: Women to Women
By Chan Tean Yin

(Continued from last issue)

Challenges

The example of Deborah poses a number of challenging questions.
• Does God still raise up women to leadership roles?
• Where are the Deborahs of today?
• Are women today, divinely endowed with gifting for leadership like Deborah, given a chance to lead ?

The story of Deborah is very encouraging and challenging to 21st century women. Deborah’s case illustrates an important truth. Even in a man-oriented society, women with exceptional personal and spiritual qualities can rise to leadership. Women were not generally leaders in patriarchal Israel. But her sex did not disqualify Deborah, whose spiritual gifts were acknowledged by God’s people.

The important truth is God is no discriminator of sex. It is not correct for anyone to proclaim that leadership is male. Meanwhile, we must recognise the sovereignty of God in choosing whom He wishes, irrespective of sex. When choosing a leader, it is not sex or gender but spiritual quality and character that matter to God. I believe in God’s eyes, women stand an equal chance of being chosen as leaders if they have the right character and spiritual qualities.

Where are the Deborahs of today?

I believe they are seated amongst us in the pews. Women today should be challenged to emulate the qualities of Deborah.

She should seek to cultivate a horizontal relationship with the people she leads and also more importantly, a vital vertical relationship with God. Her source of strength and power to lead does not come from her human abilities but from a Divine source.

We may not all lead or rule like Deborah but we can all seek to “arise a mother” to the people God has given into our care.
We need to embrace all people with God’s love for this is a very powerful principle of leadership. In addition, the Deborahs of today should seek to inspire and encourage faith and hope in the Living God.

In a world where there`s so much gloom and doom, the Deborahs of today should seek to inspire faith and incite vision of victory through having faith in our Victor who has conquered the world.

Are women divinely endowed like Deborah given a chance at leadership?

Well, the answer to this question varies from church situation to church situation.

In the more liberated, charismatic church setting, women are recognised as co-heirs with the males in Christ and they are regarded as equal members of the priesthood of God. So, there is no problem in allowing women to take up leadership roles. However, today there are still many churches which are wary of accepting women into the leadership. .

Women today need not feel intimidated or despair at the lack of opportunities. We may not all rise up to the stature of Deborah, in the sense of obtaining official title or recognition.

But we can emulate her qualities. We may use our giftings to bless others. We can speak words of encouragement to instill faith and lift up the spirit of others. We may share our vision with those who are in leadership.

Best of all, women today will certainly impact the world by expressing their “mother spirit” in practical and obvious ways. Love is the greatest of all the gifts and this is what made Deborah’s leadership so distinctive.

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Mrs Chan Tean Yin is a member of the NECF Women’s Concern Commission



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