Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face

Twice a month, I gather with some ladies from our church to read aloud and discuss a book. We just completed Martha Peace's book, Damsels in Distress. It has been a great study! The last chapter focused on responding biblically to trials and I found myself examining the various trials I've experienced in my life and whether or not I've always responded to them in a godly way. To my shame, I determined that I am often a great big failure at trials; thankfully God uses them in my life anyway. :-) And that's the point. Mrs. Peace points out that trials may initially bring out the worst in us: anger, bitterness, fear, laziness, self-focus, etc. And isn't that the truth? Our first reaction to stress or tribulation may expose hidden sin that needs to be purged, as the "worst in us" is revealed. Yet, as Mrs. Peace points out, God uses conflict and trials to expose and show us our sin, prune it off, and grow in us the precious fruit of righteousness: "But thankfully, this 'worst' is pruned off as God convicts us of our sin and helps us turn from sin to righteousness. The pain from God's pruning will fade as the fruit of righteousness flowers for all to see." - Martha Peace All the chapters were good and included many topics relevent to women. Topics like PMS, gossip and slander, manipulation, vanity, and legalism. Mrs. Peace teaches from a Reformed perspective and is doctrinally sound. I highly recommend this book for personal or group study.

Not only did I find this book encouraging and challenging on a personal level, but it is also an essential tool for helping other women find Biblical solutions to everyday problems.

Last week I finished reading Martha Peace's new book Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face. Most people are familiar with Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife and this book is just as poignant and biblically sound. Peace writes with spiritual depth and encouraging clarity as she addresses problems that women have with others, self and the world.In eleven chapters Martha covers gossip and slander, idolatrous emotional attachments, manipulation, hurt feelings, vanity, PMS, legalism, the feminist influence, the role of women in the church and trials. Seeing that list, I knew this book would be convicting! And it is, but she does not condemn and leave us feeling guilty. Martha's heart for helping women comes across very genuinely in her writing and her purpose it truly to exhort her readers to help them change. In the first chapter Martha writes- "There is nothing, however painful, that we must go through in vain. God will not only help us, but He will also use all things for our good and for His glory. What a comforting thought when we are in a trial or undergoing terrific pressure or temptation!" She urges the reader to keep this perspective in all our struggles. This encouragement is especially timely as she continues to write very black and white about our struggles and how no excuses will do. If we have a 1 Peter approach to our weaknesses The Lord can accomplish His change in us. There were a couple of sections that I thought about quite a bit. The first was from chapter 4-Manipulation: I'm supposed to respond how? Martha writes- "Sinful manipulation is using unbiblical words and/or your countenance to bully another person into letting you have your way. All the while you know that if you cannot have your way, you can at least punish the other person in the process. You know you are guilty of sinful manipulation when you don't graciously take "no" for an answer and keep trying to convince the other person to let you have your way. Certainly there may be times when an appeal is appropriate, but if the answer is sill "no," then you must see it as God's will for you at the moment." She breaks manipulation down into a chart of tactics that women try with their husbands, parents, friends and children. She sees that most verbal manipulation falls into one of these categories: sweet talk, begging, crying, anger, the cold shoulder, accusations, and threats. She calls us to put off manipulations and let all we say and do be done in love. The second one is from chapter 5, Hurt Feelings: What difference does it make what he intended? Martha tries to be clear on the differences between intentional and unintentional hurts. I am amazed at the authoritative clarity with which she describes these two problems. She writes about intentional hurts- "Intentional hurts are sinful. They may be in the form of slander, name-calling, malicious comments and acts, or cruel threats. Whatever the form, you can overcome them only be respondi

if you are a woman with no problems, or if you know no women with problems. Otherwise, it is a MUST READ-excellent, Bible-based and WELL WORTH the read! I ordered it from the library but need to buy it so I can have it as a reference and to share :)