Teaching Our Daughters to Be Strong Women

By: Jenifer Metzger

This world tells us to raise strong daughters, and we know that it is our job to raise strong daughters. We have our girls -whether our own daughters, nieces, granddaughters, little sisters, or any girl we have influence over- for a short time. In fact, we only have 6,570 days from birth to their 18th birthday. We only have 936 weeks from birth to their 18th birthday. We only have 18 summers. The days of our influence are short so we need to take this task of teaching our girls to be strong women serious and get busy.

To teach our girls to be strong women, we first need to understand what it means to be a strong woman.

The world will tell us that to teach our girls to be strong women, we need to teach them to be independent, never show weakness, take care of themselves, walk away from those who hurt them, work hard, play harder, and make self care a priority.

While some of the world's views are valid, some are a bit off.

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls to love themselves. Our girls need to understand that they were created in the very image of God Himself and they are beautiful and they have worth.

So God created man in His own image;

He created him in the image of God;

He created them male and female.

Genesis 1:27 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls to be dependent on God. We need to teach them to trust in Him and His ways.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls that there is strength in our weakness. We don't have to handle everything on our own.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient
for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.”
Therefore I will most gladly boast all the more
about my weakness, so that Christ's power may

reside in me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls to forgive others. They need to know that Christ forgives us so we should never withhold forgiveness to others.

Bearing with one another and forgiving one another

if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the

Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

Colossians 3:13 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls that we were not called to do this life alone. They need to find their tribe of sisters and cultivate those relationships.

Iron sharpens iron, and

one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls to work hard. Not only work hard, but work as though every single thing we are doing for God Himself.

Whatever you do, do it from

the heart, as something done

for the Lord and not for people.

Colossians 3:23 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls to take care of themselves. We need to do this by teaching them that they are the temple of God.

Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s

temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16 CSB

To be truly strong, we need to teach our girls to make Bible reading a priority. We must teach them so they know how to read the Bible and pray.

This book of instruction must not depart

from your mouth; you are to meditate on

it day and night so that you may carefully

observe everything written in it. For then

you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

Joshua 1:8 CSB

When we teach our girls these principles, we are training them to be strong women. However, we need to do more than tell them, we need to be an example. Let your girl see you forgive others, talk positive about yourself, read your Bible regularly, pray, and more. Let her see an example of a strong, Godly woman when she sees you. And if you feel you haven't been that example in her life, start now.

P.S. These principals will teach your boys how to be strong men too...

Discussion:
1. Who was/is your example of a strong, Godly woman?
2. What other ways can you think of to be an example and teach your girl to be a strong, Godly woman?