As you all know, there is currently an pandemic at large. Everyone is doing their best to distance themselves. Everyone (pretty much) understands the effects that this could have on their health and the health of their loved ones. What if we couldn’t distance ourselves from this? What if we actually went out and got it, thinking it was a healing potion for our ailments? I mean, imagine? There is another “virus” that has been released into the word, directed to us woman. It is claiming to free us from our “tame” women lives and take us on a journey of self discovery. This virus is a book titled “Untamed” written by Glennon Doyle. I know this sounds harsh but Freedom is so dear to me. We have to talk about this.
Before I begin, I want to say this. I have followed Glennon Doyle from afar for years. I like her. She’s gorgeous and smart. She is the leader of amazing non-profits. Her shoes and clothes are to die for and she genuinely has a heart to encourage woman. This is not an attack on her, or her lifestyle, or her life choices. This is a letter to raise questions about the advice she is giving woman on how to become “free” via her own life story.
Dear sister,
I watched an interview with you this morning about your new book. You explained that this book is the story of how you became “a free woman”. I wonder what you mean by free? I have heard you say that you have struggled with addiction and infidelity, as well as had to fight for your first marriage to survive. Is that what you are now free from? You went on to explain that your self discovery began when your, now wife, walked into a room and you heard a voice from, which you first thought was from above but then realized was actually from deep with you. “Your authentic voice”. At first, you were scared of this voice but only because you “had been tamed into believing that if you did what was right for you, you would hurt your people”. The straw that broke the camels back for you was when you were braiding your daughters hair and thought to yourself, ” I’m staying in this marriage for her but would I want this marriage for her?” After watching this interview my heart was heavy for you. I imagined you, years ago, tired and at the end of your rope. The weight of your feelings must have felt like too much to bear. You were desperate for relief and instead of pressing on, in the grace of God, you chose freewill and mistakenly called it freedom. Sister, you are loved.
Out of curiosity, I googled the word tame and it is defined as , “to make or become gentle or obedient. James 3:17-18 says, But wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere and those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. It is good, in the eyes of the Lord for us to be gentle and obedient. Those who are will reap a harvest of goodness. Sister, you do want to be tame and in fact, according to God’s word, you will be blessed for it.
I know the voice you heard that day when your wife walked in the room must have felt good. I bet the way you two looked at each other awakened emotions in you that you had been craving to feel for years. Sister, this was not freedom. This was not self discovery. This was temptation. James 1:14 says, Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. Oh how the enemy loves this kind of deception, sin masked in Freedom. Sister, I wish you had dug into the word of God during this time. Ephesians 6:11 says we need to be ready to resist these tricks from the enemy.
I know life is hard. It’s easy, as parents, to want to model a happy life for our children but the truth is we aren’t always happy. Modeling a surrendered life is much more valuable to our children than claiming a happy one. Jesus himself said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must set aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. Let’s teach our children that our most intimate relationship here on earth must be with Jesus. Only when we love Jesus our most can we love others our best.
Oh sister, please reconsider what you a sharing with woman all over the world. Giving into your desire is not freedom. I encourage you to talk with the Lord. I encourage you to read His living word. I encourage you with the endless, steadfast love that He has for you to draw near to Him. He is the only one who can give you true freedom.
In love,
Jesie B
In closing to everyone, just as we are washing our hands, like mad and staying away from large crowds to avoid the corona virus; so should we be digging into the word of God, like mad and resisting temptation in order to avoid being bound by our sin. This is not our home, sisters.
Incase you’d like to watch the interview that I have referenced above, here is the link:
Dear Sister, 