During the past two years, I have been offering transformational coaching not just in person in Nairobi, but also all over the world, on the phone. I have connected and worked closely with unhappy, unfulfilled, and unsettled firstborn daughters from Canada, Uganda, South Africa, and all kinds of places in between.
I have also helped people change their lives through my social media content, written works, and guided wellness journals.
While my focus with clients almost always starts with healing, self-discovery and resolving childhood trauma, very quickly we shift to their relationships and end up doing most of our work in that realm. Nine times out of ten, their struggles seem to center on intimate or interpersonal relationships that are out of balance and creating havoc. Trouble at home or inside themselves bubbles over into struggles at work, and as with so many things, one situation needs to be fixed before the other can improve.
It is easy for me to be sympathetic to my clients and their struggles because I have run into many similar problems, finding myself up against many of the same difficult circumstances along my healing journey. Drawing from my years of healing and self-discovery, and the years as a wellness coach for firstborn daughters, I have made the guidance I needed when I begun my healing journey, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
"And where do I draw inspiration to do such great work", you ask.
As a wellness coach, my success and reputation are dependent on people achieving their goals as a result of our work together, so in today's post I would like to share about a little of what inspires me, so you too can be inspired. Here goes... Sometimes, I take inspiration from the woman I will become. And other times, I am inspired by the stories of the many women that have come before me. For example, the women of the Bible.
It can be easy to read the Bible and only see the stories of the amazing men—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Elijah and Elisha. David and Solomon. Peter and James and John. But the Bible has lots of stories of incredible women too. Strong and brave women who led armies and challenged kings. Prophetesses who heard and obeyed the voice of God. Wise women who made difficult decisions and led the people back to God. Loyal women who stayed faithful to God even when their situations seemed perilous. Women who did the right thing no matter what everyone else was doing, and changed the course of history forever.
These were women who lived in ancient times, and yet their stories apply to our lives and the difficult issues we face in our world today. They were on the edge. They had courage. They took risks. They did the unexpected. They lived daring lives, and sometimes they made mistakes-big mistakes. These women were not perfect, and yet God in His infinite mercy used them in His perfect plan to bring forth the Christ, the Savior of the world.
We live in desperate, troubled times when millions seek answers. These women point the way. The lessons we can learn from them are as applicable today as when they lived thousands of years ago.
Tamar is a woman of hope.
Rahab is a woman of faith.
Ruth is a woman of love.
Bathsheba is a woman who received unlimited grace.
Mary is a woman of obedience.
These are historical women who actually lived. Their stories, as I have told them, are based on biblical accounts. Although some of their actions may seem disagreeable to us in our century, we need to consider these women in the context of their own times.
Let's go back in time and see what we have in common with each of them, and how they can inspire our journey.
1. Eve
HER NAME MEANS “Life-Giving” or “Mother of All Who Have Life”
Her Character: She came into the world perfectly at peace with her God and with her husband, the only other person on the planet. She lived in Paradise, possessing every pleasure imaginable. She never knew the meaning of embarrassment, misunderstanding, hurt, estrangement, envy, bitterness, grief, or guilt until she listened to her enemy and began to doubt God.
Her Sorrow: That she and her husband were banished from paradise and the presence of God, and that her first son was a murderer and her second son his victim.
Her Joy: That she had once tasted Paradise, and that God had promised that her offspring would eventually destroy her enemy.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:26 – 31; 2 – 4
2. Sarah
HER NAME MEANS “Chieftainness” or “Princess”
Her Character: Beautiful enough to attract rulers in the ancient world, she could be strong-willed and jealous. Yet Sarah was considered a loyal wife who did what was right and who didn’t give in to fear.
Her Sorrow: That she remained childless for most of her life.
Her Joy: That at the age of ninety, she gave birth to Isaac, child of the promise.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 12:1 – 20; 16:1 – 8; 17:1 – 22; 18:1 – 15; 21:1 – 13; Galatians 4:22 – 31
3. Hagar
HER NAME (EGYPTIAN) MAY MEAN “Fugitive” or “Immigrant”
Her Character: A foreigner and slave, Hagar let pride overtake her when she became Abraham’s wife. A lonely woman with few resources, she suffered harsh punishment for her mistake. She obeyed God’s voice as soon as she heard it and was given a promise that her son would become the father of a great nation.
Her Sorrow: That she was taken from her homeland to become a slave in a foreign land, where she was mistreated for many years.
Her Joy: To know that God cared, that he saw her suffering and heard her cry, and that he helped her when she needed him most.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 16; 21:8 – 21; Galatians 4:22 – 31
4. Rachel
HER NAME MEANS “Ewe”
Her Character: Manipulated by her father, she had little say over her own life circumstances and relationships. But rather than dealing creatively with a difficult situation, Rachel behaved like a perpetual victim, responding to sin with yet more sin, making things worse by competing with her sister, and deceiving her father in return.
Her Sorrow: That her longing for children ultimately led to her death in childbirth.
Her Joy: That her husband cherished her and would do whatever was in his power to make her happy.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 29 – 35; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18
5. Leah
HER NAME MAY MEAN “Impatient” or “Wild Cow”
Her Character: Capable of both strong and enduring love, she was a faithful wife and mother. Manipulated by her father, she became jealous of her sister, with whom, it seems, she never reconciled.
Her Sorrow: That she lacked her sister’s beauty, and that her love for her husband was one-sided.
Her Joy: That she bore Jacob six sons and one daughter.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 29 – 35; Ruth 4:11
6. Lot's Wife
Her Character: She was a prosperous woman who may have been more attached to the good life than was good for her. Though there is no indication she participated in the sin of Sodom, her story implies she had learned to tolerate it and that her heart had become divided as a result.
Her Tragedy: That her heart’s choice led to judgment rather than mercy, and that she ultimately refused God’s attempts to save her. Key Scriptures: Genesis 18:16 – 19:29; Luke 17:28 – 33
7. Rebekah
H E R N A M E P R O B A B L Y M E A N S “Loop” or “Tie”
Her Character: Hardworking and generous, her faith was so great that she left her home forever to marry a man she had never seen or met. Yet she played favorites with her sons and failed to trust God fully for the promise he had made.
Her Sorrow: That she was barren for the first twenty years of her married life, and that she never again set eyes on her favorite son, Jacob, after he fled from his brother Esau.
Her Joy: That God had gone to extraordinary lengths to pursue her, to invite her to become part of his people and his promises.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 24; 25:19 – 34; 26:1 – 28:9
8. Tamar Daughter-in-Law of Judah
HER NAME MEANS “Date Tree” or “Palm Tree”
Her Character: Driven by one overwhelming need, she sacrificed her reputation and nearly her life to achieve her goals.
Her Sorrow: That the men in her life failed to fulfill their responsibility, leaving her a childless widow.
Her Joy: That her daring behavior resulted, not in ruin, but in the fulfillment of her hopes to bear children.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 38; Matthew 1:3
9. The Woman of Proverbs 31
Her Character: She represents the fulfillment of a life lived in wisdom.
Her Joy: To be praised by her husband and children as a woman who surpasses all others.
Key Scripture: Proverbs 31:10 – 31
10. Rahab
HER NAME MEANS “Storm,” “Arrogance,” “Broad,” or “Spacious”
Her Character: Rahab was both clever and wise. She saw judgment coming and was able to devise an escape plan for herself and her family. As soon as she heard what God had done for the Israelites, she cast her lot with his people, risking her life in an act of faith.
Her Sorrow: To see her own people destroyed and her city demolished.
Her Joy: That God had given her, an idolater and prostitute, the opportunity to know him and belong to his people.
Key Scriptures: Joshua 2:1 – 21; 6:17 – 25; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25
11. Deborah
HER NAME MEANS “Honey Bee”
Her Character: Her vision of the world was shaped not by the political situation of her day but by her relationship with God. Though women in the ancient world did not usually become political leaders, Deborah was just the leader Israel needed — a prophetess who heard God and believed him and whose courage aroused the people, enabling them to throw off foreign oppression.
Her Sorrow: That her people had sunk into despair because of their idolatry, forgetting God’s promises and the faith of their ancestors.
Her Joy: That God turned the enemy’s strength on its head, bestowing power to the weak and blessing the land with peace for forty years.
Key Scripture: Judges 4 – 5
12. Naomi
HER NAME MEANS “My Joy” or “Pleasant”
Her Character: Suffering a threefold tragedy, Naomi refused to hide her sorrow or bitterness. Believing in God’s sovereignty, she attributed her suffering to his will. But her fixation on circumstances, both past and present, led to hopelessness. A kind and loving mother-in-law, she inspired unusual love and loyalty in her daughters-in-law.
Her Sorrow: To have lost a husband and two sons in a foreign land, far from family and friends.
Her Joy: To have returned safely to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth, who would eventually rekindle her happiness and hope. Key Scripture: Ruth 1; 4:13 – 17
13. Ruth
HER NAME MEANS “Friendship”
Her Character: Generous, loyal, and loving, she is strong and serene, able to take unusual risks, dealing actively with life circumstances.
Her Sorrow: To have lost her husband, homeland, and family.
Her Joy: To discover firsthand the generous, loyal, and loving nature of God, as he provided her with a husband, a son, and a home to call her own.
Key Scriptures: Ruth 2 – 4; Matthew 1:5
14. Hannnah
H E R N A M E M E A N S “Graciousness” or “Favor”
Her Character: Provoked by another woman’s malice, she refused to respond in kind. Instead, she poured out her hurt and sorrow to God, allowing him to vindicate her.
Her Sorrow: To be taunted and misunderstood.
Her Joy: To proclaim God’s power and goodness, his habit of raising the lowly and humbling the proud.
Key Scriptures: 1 Sam uel 1:1 – 2:11; 2:19 – 21
15. Michal
HER NAME MEANS “Who Is Like God?”
Her Character: A woman of strong emotions, she was unable to control the important circumstances of her life. Forcibly separated from two husbands, she lost her father and her brother, who were savaged by their enemies.
Her Sorrow: That she was ensnared in the drawn-out battle between Saul and David.
Her Joy: Though short-lived, she enjoyed a passionate love for David.
Key Scriptures: 1 Sam uel 18:20 – 29; 19:11 – 17; 2 Sam uel 6:16 – 23
16. Abigail
HER NAME MEANS “My Father Is Joy”
Her Character: Generous, quick-witted, and wise, she is one of the Bible’s great peacemakers.
Her Sorrow: To have been mismatched in marriage to her first husband.
Her Joy: That God used her to save lives, eventually making her the wife of David.
Key Scripture: 1 Sam uel 25:2 – 42
17. Bathsheba
HER NAME MEANS “The Seventh Daughter” or “The Daughter of an Oath”
Her Character: Her beauty made her victim to a king’s desire. Though it is difficult to discern her true character, she seems to have found the courage to endure tragedy, winning the king’s confidence and eventually securing the kingdom for her son Solomon.
Her Sorrow: To have been molested by a supposedly godly man, who then murdered her husband. To have suffered the loss of one of her sons.
Her Joy: To have given birth to five sons, one of whom became king of Israel after David’s death.
Key Scripture: 2 Sam uel 11:1 – 12:25
18. The Wise Woman of Abel
Her Character: Rather than passively waiting for someone else to save her city, she had the wisdom and courage to act quickly and decisively.
Her Sorrow: That her city, though faithful to the king, was besieged by his army because it had been infiltrated by a rebellious leader. Her Joy: That she was able to successfully intercede for the town, thus averting disaster for many innocent people.
Key Scripture: 2 Sam uel 20:14 – 22
19. The Queen of Sheba
Her Character: Though a pagan queen like Jezebel, she prized wisdom above power. She appears to have been intellectually gifted, with a good head for business and diplomacy.
Her Joy: That her quest for wisdom was rewarded beyond her expectations.
Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 10:1 – 13; Matthew 12:42
20. The Widow of Zarephath
Her Character: A Phoenician woman, she showed extraordinary hospitality to one of God’s prophets, providing a safe harbor for him during a period of famine.
Her Sorrow: To suffer extreme poverty, famine, and the loss of husband and son.
Her Joy: To experience repeated miracles of God’s provision.
Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:8 – 24; Luke 4:25 – 26
21. The Shunammite Woman
Her Character: Generous and hospitable, she was a wealthy and capable woman who showed great kindness to one of God’s prophets.
Her Sorrow: To lose the son that had been promised her.
Her Joy: To experience just how deep God’s faithfulness goes.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 4:8 – 37; 8:1 – 6
22. Huldah
HER NAME MEANS “Weasel”
Her Character: Trusted by the king with a matter of great importance, she was a prophetess whose word ignited a significant religious reform.
Her Sorrow: That God’s people refused to respond to him with loving obedience, ignoring repeated warnings about the consequences of their unfaithfulness.
Her Joy: As a prophetess, she was privileged to be a messenger of God.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 22:14 – 20; 2 Chron icles 34:22 – 33
23. Esther
H E R N A M E M A Y D E R I V E F R O M “Ishtar,” the Babylonian Goddess of Love, or from the Persian Word for “Star” Her Hebrew Name, “Hadassah,” Means “Myrtle”
Her Character: An orphan in a foreign land, she was willing to conceal her Jewish identity in a bid for a pagan king’s affection. Esther seemed willing to made moral compromises by sleeping with the king and then taking part in a wedding that would necessarily have required her to pay homage to foreign gods. Even so, she displayed great courage in the midst of a crisis. Prior to risking her life for her people, she humbled herself by fasting and then put her considerable beauty, social grace, and wisdom in the ser vice of God’s plan.
Her Sorrow: To learn that her husband, the king, had unwittingly placed her life and the life of her people in jeopardy.
Her Joy: To watch mourning turn to celebration once the Jews enjoyed relief from their enemies.
Key Scripture: Esther 1 – 10
24. The Shulammite Woman
Her Character: Hers is the only female voice that speaks directly and extensively to us in Scripture. Ruth’s, Esther’s, Hannah’s, and Mary’s voices, for instance, are all mediated through narration. The Shulammite woman boldly declares her longing and desire to be united to her lover in marriage.
Her Sorrow: To have been separated from her beloved at times. Her Joy: To enjoy so passionate a love.
Key Scripture: Song of Songs 1 – 8
25. Elizabeth
HER NAME MEANS “God Is My Oath”
Her Character: A descendant of Aaron, Elizabeth was a woman the Bible calls “upright in the sight of God.” Like few others, male or female, she is praised for observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations without blame. She is the first to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Her Sorrow: To be barren for most of her life.
Her Joy: To give birth to John, later known as John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner. His name, divinely assigned, means, “The Lord Is Gracious.”
Key Scripture: Luke 1:5 – 80
26. Mary, Mother of Jesus
HER NAME MAY MEAN “Bitterness”
Her Character: She was a virgin from a poor family in an obscure village in Galilee. Her response to Gabriel reveals a young woman of unusual faith and humility. Her unqualified yes to God’s plan for her life entailed great personal risk and suffering. She must have endured seasons of confusion, fear, and darkness as the events of her life unfolded. She is honored, not only as the mother of Jesus, but as his first disciple.
Her Sorrow: To see the son she loved shamed and tortured, left to die like the worst kind of criminal.
Her Joy: To see her child raised from the dead; to have received the Holy Spirit along with Christ’s other disciples.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 1:18 – 25; 2; Luke 1:26 – 80; 2:1 – 52; John 19:25 – 27
27. Anna
HER NAME MEANS “Favor” or “Grace”
Her Character: Married for only seven years, she spent the long years of her widowhood fasting and praying in the temple, abandoning herself entirely to God. A prophetess, she was one of the first to bear witness to Jesus.
Her Sorrow: As a widow, she would probably have been among the most vulnerable members of society, with no one to provide for her financially or to take care of her if her health failed.
Her Joy: That her own eyes beheld the Messiah she had longed to see.
Key Scripture: Luke 2:22 – 38
28. The Woman with the Issue of Blood
Her Character: So desperate for healing, she ignored the conventions of the day for the chance to touch Jesus.
Her Sorrow: To have suffered a chronic illness that isolated her from others.
Her Joy: That after long years of suffering, she finally found peace and freedom.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9:20 – 22; Mark 5:25 – 34; Luke 8:43 – 48
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