When the word theology is mentioned, we tend to picture the large books on the desk of the Pastor.  By doing this we have made the word mean much more than it does.  The truth is that, simply put, theology is the study of God.    Because of this there are fears we give into when it comes to studying theology.  Let’s look at a few of those fears and the excuses resulting from them.

What would keep a woman from the study of God?

1. Fear of the study of God being “too deep”.

What in the world does this even mean?  As followers of Christ we need to know who we are following.  To understand God and build that relationship with Him should be a priority for us.  How can getting to know someone who calls Himself a friend be “too deep”?  This becomes just an excuse to not work at getting to know God.

2. Fear of it taking too much time.

Time is a commodity that we have a hard time controlling.  The truth is we make time for just about anything we want to do.  We will squeeze in that mani-pedi or stop by Kohl’s even on our busiest days.  The idea of studying theology sounds like it will take way too much time. This is another excuse but not a good one.

3. Fear of growing spiritually ahead of my husband.

Who knows where this got started?  It is ridiculous to think that God wants us to put our pursuit of Him on hold until our husbands catch up. We are not responsible for our husband’s pursuit of God any more than he is of ours.  God will hold us, not our husbands, responsible for our time with Him.  Once again we have to ask ourselves, is this really a fear or an excuse to not follow through in our relationship with God?

 

4. I will let my husband learn theology for me.

This can’t be supported by Scripture.  This idea comes from the confusion of roles and identity in the life of the believing woman.  Our identity is “a follower of Christ”.  Our role is “wife”.  It is our identity which is to drive our role.  It is not the fact that I am a wife that determines whether I study theology but the fact that I am a follower of Christ.  My identity is why I do the things that I do.  To think that my responsibility to know my God is now a husband’s responsibility because I’m married is ludicrous.  This is a ridiculous excuse not only to not study theology but to blame someone else for my lack of knowledge.

 

Why do women need theology?  The answer is simply this:  a woman needs to know who God is and who she is in Christ in order to live life regardless of her circumstances in a manner that is pleasing to God and brings Him glory.   Carolyn Custis James wrote in her book, When Life and Beliefs Collide,  “…it is only as we grow in our understanding of God that we will satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and find the meaning we ache for…we need to know him.” (page 42)  It’s so important for us to realize that this life is about God and He has placed that longing inside of each of us to know Him.  We need to pursue knowledge of Him each and every day.

We need to know God because life is hard.  We face hard decisions, financial difficulties, health issues, family problems, and losses every day.  How we face these has a lot to do with what we know about God. We need to know that God is the God of hard things. Two of the attributes of God that help so much when life is hard is His sovereignty and His goodness.  In the study of these two attributes we find that nothing is out of His control and He always knows best.  Carolyn Custis James puts it this way,

A woman’s theology can make all the difference in how well she fights the battles that are part of God’s plan for her.  Sometimes theology is all we have in the war zone.  When faith is stripped to the bone and all our props and crutches are gone, our knowledge of God—that he is good and still on his throne—is the only thing that keeps us going.  When Life and Beliefs Collide (page 95)

Why do women need to study theology?  Because it is the responsibility of every Follower of Christ to know their Father intimately which will then help her as she faces life.  Don’t make excuses!  Get to know the Almighty God!

“…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10

The following are suggested resources to begin your study of theology.

When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James

Lord, I Want to Know you by Kay Arthur

Discovery God in the Stories from the Bible by Philip Graham Ryken

Our Awesome God by John MacArthur

The Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink