Becoming a Woman of Excellence by Cynthia Heald

Society today tells us that a successful woman is someone who ‘has it all.’ A promising career, money in the bank, great kids, and fame are often the goals listed by many women who desire to become known for being special.

But what does God want from us?

While none of those qualities are bad in and of themselves, it’s important to look beyond earthly values and study those values that the Lord, Himself, treasures. In Becoming a Woman of Excellence, author Cynthia Heald delves deeply into this topic using memory verses, scriptural references, insights from well-known believers such as Oswald Chambers and George Mueller, and poignant anecdotes coming straight from the life of the author herself. 

In this day and age, realizing that the attributes that the world prizes are often quite different from those the Bible tells us can be a hard thing to grasp. It can become all too easy to become surrounded by worldly examples of ‘women of excellence’ and forget to look straight to the source for what that term truly means.

I was particularly drawn to Cynthia Heald’s use of the story of Ruth. This story is one that most Christians have heard over and over again. One point that I always missed was that Ruth didn’t follow Naomi simply because she loved her, although she certainly did; she followed her because she was determined to worship Naomi’s God- her God- and was willing to give up everything for it. I never really understood that portion of the story before. And I have to ask myself, would I have done the same?

As one of the few Christians in my own family, I have never had a godly woman to look up to. I feel like Cynthia Heald has provided me with the insights of an older believing woman that I just, unfortunately, haven’t really had. This book has imparted me with an excellent guide to look more deeply into God’s Word  and to discern what it is He is asking of me.

I highly recommend this book to any woman who is seeking the path to becoming a true woman of excellence- a woman who is after God’s own heart.

(Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)