Of the many women in God’s word, only one is said to be a “great woman.” Women like Sarah, Esther, Ruth, and Mary are commonly thought of as being great women in the Bible, and rightly so, but the lady who is actually called a “great woman” by the Lord is sadly overlooked. Consequently, most Christian ladies never learn from her life’s great example.
This woman is found in II Kings chapter four. Take a few moments, if you will, and read II Kings 4:8-37. Then continue with this article as we point out some spiritual truths from this lady’s example.
The basic theme of this story is that this lady was considerate of the needs of God’s man, so God was considerate of her needs. She sowed seeds of kindness and reaped a great harvest. Yet, in doing so, she set some fine examples for Christian women of today. Take note of some of these examples and ask God where they need to be applied in your own life.
She Practiced the Golden Rule
The golden rule, of course, is derived from Matthew 7:12. In a nutshell, the rule is “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Well, unlike many modern women, this lady in II Kings chapter four practiced the golden rule. Without being told by anyone, as the man of God passed through her area, she thought of something she could do to help him in his ministry. Self-centered women of the world do not think this way, but this woman was different. She was led by God’s Spirit, not by the spirit of the world. She was led by the Spirit of I Corinthians 13:3-5 which says that charity “seeketh not her own.” This woman, being filled and led by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, sought to comfort others rather than herself, even when having to bear the burden of having no children. She wasn’t bitter; she was a blessing instead.
Are you waiting for some special blessing to come your way? It may be that God is withholding this blessing due to some bitterness in your own heart, some bitterness that is causing you to cultivate a selfish spirit instead of a caring and considerate spirit for others. Perhaps you have a lesson to learn from the great woman of Shunem. Perhaps you need to follow her example and obey the golden rule.
She Was Spiritually Minded
This lady’s first comment about the prophet was “this is a holy man” (verse 9). She didn’t say, “This is a religious fanatic” or “Here comes the preacher; let’s pull the shades and lock the door!” No, she was a spiritually minded woman who enjoyed having a man of God around.
God is going to give this woman a son because He knows it will be a good investment. He knows that this is the kind of woman who will always ask, “What does God think about this or that?” Her act of kindness wasn’t just toward any man, but toward a HOLY man, and this greatly impressed God.
Christian lady, what is your attitude toward preachers and other dedicated Christian men and women? Are you a spiritually minded lady who enjoys the friendship and fellowship of spiritual people, or do such people make you nervous and uncomfortable? You can never be a great woman in God’s sight if you aren’t a SPIRITUAL woman.
She Didn’t Yield To Worldly Temptations
Notice in verse thirteen that this lady had the opportunity to be spoken for to the king! What an opportunity! What a chance to “be somebody” and “get some respect” for a change! What a chance to take a few steps up the social ladder! Yet, none of this interested her. She was a godly woman who sought to please God, not the world, so worldly temptations did not appeal to her. She simply said, “I dwell among mine own people.” This lady was content with her own people and had no desire to break away from her home and her roots and become a woman of the world.
Oh, how God’s women need this example today! Satan is firing his darts from all sides in an attempt to pressure Christian ladies to turn their backs on their God and the their families and become women of the world. Godly wives and mothers have left their homes and become “career women.” This is supposedly being done because “it takes two incomes to live these days,” but the real reason is just plain old worldliness. A great woman will say no to the world and dwell among her own people.
She Was A Woman of Faith
A few years after God gave this lady a son, the boy became sick and died. Rather than give up hope and become bitter, this lady runs to the man of God for help. In fact, when the servant asks her, “Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?” she answers “It is well.” My, what faith she displayed. A dead child is not well, yet she had faith to believe that God could raise this child from death, so she said, “It is well.”
Christian lady, are you following this great example of faith, or do you find yourself often doubting God’s ability to fulfill His word in your own life? Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Do you really believe Romans 8:28, or is it just another Bible verse with no special meaning to you personally? To be a great woman you must be a woman of faith.
She Was Emotionally Strong
Notice the emotional strength of this lady. She had a desperate situation on her hands, yet she held up and even kept the matter to herself. The only person she spoke with about the child was the man of God, the only one who could help her!
Most women today do just the opposite. They carry their many problems to their various friends and family members, and yet they never find any real help. Countless hours they spend chatting about their troubles with people who can’t offer any help at all! A great woman will not chat carelessly about her troubles. She will take such matters to God and maybe to a godly person or two who can actually offer some help. She doesn’t speak of her troubles for the sake of complaining or getting sympathy. She speaks only to get help.
What about you, dear reader? Are you the emotionally strong woman who controls her tongue, or are you the loose-lipped woman who spends more time complaining about problems than really seeking help with them?
She Was Thankful
After Elisha had raised the woman’s son from death, she “went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.” (verse 37) This tells us that she was THANKFUL for what God had done for her. She didn’t have a bitter attitude because of what had happened. She didn’t reason that she was entitled to be bitter with God and that she deserved to have her son raised. She was just thankful!
Christian lady, are you a thankful lady? Do you thank God regularly for His blessings in your life, or do you feel entitled to such blessings. A truly great woman feels entitled to nothing. She deserves nothing. She is simply glad to be alive, glad to be saved, thrilled to be a servant of God, and THANKFUL for God’s blessings in her life.
I Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” When is the last time you thanked God for your husband, for your family, for your church, for your salvation, for Christian friends, for your health? You could certainly have it a lot worse! Many women do! You ought to be thankful, and you will be, if you are a great woman.
Author: James Melton