"Some of my best men are women!"

Isn't that an interesting quote from one of the most powerful Christian leaders of the 19th century? With his high estimation of the female gender and its capabilities, General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, certainly was a man before his time. It was nearly a century later that Time magazine gave its "Man of the Year" award to "American women."

"Some of my best men are women!" Now that you've considered these profound words for a moment, let me stretch you just a bit further.

I wonder if the same words are not also in the heart and mind of God at our moment in history. I wonder if, when the Father looks down from His bird's-eye view of all that is happening on the earth today, He turns to His Son, seated at His right side, and, with a twinkle in His eye, echoes the words of Booth: "Some of My best men are women!" And I wonder if the Holy Spirit, who is most certainly eavesdropping on the conversation, raises His fist in the air in complete agreement with the Father.

God is looking for "a few good men" and "a few good women" to make a difference in His kingdom at every juncture in history. Perhaps the Father, who created all of us in His heart of love, is not as concerned with the gender on our birth certificate as He is with the condition of our heart.

"And it will be that, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy ... Even on the Even on the menservants and maidservants in those days I will pour out My Spirit" (Joel 2:28-29).

Now, more than ever, women need to understand their important role and their significance in the call and intent of God. God's plan is that His Holy Spirit imbue humanity, both male and female, with power from on high. Men and women receive the same power in the same measure. The power that both men and women receive from the Holy Spirit includes the ability to be courageous witnesses and to fulfill the God-given mandate that is particular to each generation.

What is God calling you to do through the power of His Holy Spirit? The days of cowering in fear, hiding behind insignificance and wallowing in lack of opportunities are over. God is blowing doors wide open for women as never before. It is time for us to march forward in grand anticipation of all that God can do through even one woman who is submitted to the call of God and filled with His Spirit.

A woman's voice in the marketplace, in the church and in the home offers a perspective and a tone that is valuable and unique. We are not fragile clones of our male counterparts; rather, we have been outstandingly fashioned by the God of the universe for a role in the story of humanity that is utterly feminine, powerfully impactful and undoubtedly irreplaceable.

The Holy Spirit of Pentecost has been poured out upon your life! What will you do with this gift? Don't waste these days of power and open doors! When Peter received the Holy Spirit, thousands of people were saved. When John received the Holy Spirit, lame men walked. When Paul received the Holy Spirit, prison walls fell down.

I believe that God is looking at your life this very day, and, with a twinkle in His eye, He is reminding you that some of His very best men, indeed, are women! Significant women.

"We are women, and my plea is, let me be a woman, holy through and through, asking for nothing but what God wants to give me, receiving with both hands and with all my heart whatever that is." —Elisabeth Elliot

Edited excerpt from Significant, © 2019 by Carol McLeod, published by Whitaker House. Used with permission.

Carol McLeod is a popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats and is the bestselling author of 11 books. She has a daily podcast, Jolt of Joy, on the Charisma Podcast Network, has written numerous devotionals for YouVersion and is a weekly writer for Ministry Today. Her blog, Joy for the Journey, has been named in the Top 50 Faith Blogs for Women, and her teaching DVD, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, won a Telly Award for excellence in religious programming. Visit whitakerhouse.com/product/significant/.

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