People will sometimes use you against you. What do I mean? Abusive people, whether it be men or women, will use your fear of them against you. People who know you are in a desperate place will use that against you. You don’t have to believe me but need a place to stay and the person who can give you one needs a baby sitter. They will use you against you. When the folk on your job know you really need your job, they’ll use it against you. And when people know you’ve yet to rightly divide God’s word, they’ll use it against you too. There was a post someone made yesterday asking if women can be pastors. First off, I am sick of this conversation and it’s not because I am a woman assistant pastor but because we (Christians) like to pick and choose what we believe in when it fits us. Most of the folk who believe women can’t be preachers or pastors do so because somebody else instilled it in them. But to each its own. You not believing in me doesn’t stop God from using me. However, here’s something I want to point out. A lot of people who were commenting ‘no’ on the post yesterday referenced 1 Timothy 2:11-15 which says, “Women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.”
Before you go any further, go back to 1 Timothy 2:1 and see what the first word is. Don’t have your bible? I’ll tell you. It says I as in Paul. Nowhere in this passage does Paul say God says. It’s Paul talking to Timothy and for those who will say he’s talking on the authority of God, well maybe you should know the word silence, as in women should learn in silence is translated as peaceable. In other words, women should learn in peace. As for the word submissively, Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” Get this though, this headship doesn’t change because a woman is your pastor. She is your pastor, your spiritual guide and your shepherd whose responsibility is to save and protect the sheep. A woman isn’t trying to assert her authority simple because she is pastor neither should a man. A pastor is God’s appointed shepherd for God says in Jeremiah 3:15, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” This scripture didn’t refer to a certain manner of person. Nevertheless, believe what you want but stop allowing people to use you against you. Stand up for yourself, fight for yourself, study for yourself and please do away with fear. Try and trust God for you.
Lakisha, the Author 
Amen