It was ten minutes to 2 o’clock, and the transit around the Cenacle of the Holy Spirit in the Brás neighborhood of Sao Paulo – Brazil, was not normal for a quiet day like Sunday. While traffic jams formed near the Church, the women driving these cars came out of their vehicles with eager faces and rushed toward the Church.

This was not going to be a normal meeting. Instead, it was a lecture focused on women, and all the proceeds were destined to go towards the construction of the Temple of Solomon, in Sao Paulo.

The theme of the event, which was held on Sunday (24), in Rio de Janeiro and transmitted by videoconference to the entire country, to an audience of about 120 thousand women, was not a coincidence: The V Woman – modern, in the old-fashioned way.

It is not difficult to understand this paradox if we take a look at how everything began, back during the Creation, with Eve.

Eve was the first woman in the world. It was God’s way of adding a special touch to the Creation. But it was also how sin entered. This is why she was a gift that became a curse, said the first speaker, writer Ester Bezerra.

Ester Bezerra e Cristiane Cardoso  

 

Curiosity, ingenuity, disobedience… all of these emotions and actions were crucial to mankind. It was because of a woman that mistakes, guilt came about… And for centuries, that guilt has been tattooed in her loins.

But that was not the purpose of the Creation. Rather, while the world put down and devalued women, Jesus was the first to appreciate her, explained Cristiane Cardoso, host of The Love School.

– Adulteress! – Shouted the men that caught the woman in adultery.

And as if the burden of guilt and the shame of that mistake wasn’t enough, she was thrown at the feet of a man who questioned man’s judgment.

– Go and sin no more, – He said.

– During those times, women were worthless. But Jesus came to rescue women and their worth – explained Cristiane – putting woman at the same level of importance as man.

Cristiane Cardoso  

 

And if this is true, why is there still women in the 21^st century that don’t understand how much they are really worth?

While Cristiane spoke, the audience remained attentive. You couldn’t hear a sound. Why was it so quiet? Which wounds were being poked at that moment?

The problem is the lack of faith in yourself, and not only that. You do not believe that your true worth comes from within and not from the circumstances around you. And this is what happens with many women. They judge themselves and form their own opinion based on what others say or think about them. And if she did not complete her studies, is not successful, or does not meet the beauty standards that society sets, she feels inferior.

– The Holy Spirit lives within us. If I were worthless, why would He live inside of me? – Reflects Cristiane.

It is no coincidence that the author of The V Woman talks about inferiority. For many years, even after having a spiritual encounter, Cristiane continued to live with her complexes. She felt an embarrassment that only she could see. And felt incapable. Confusing? Yes, so are the complexes created by those who feel like they’re nothing.

 

Even though Cristiane was married to a pastor and had the responsibility of caring for lives and souls, she was unable to see her own beauty. And if she didn’t have the courage to talk to people, how could she help them? – She wondered.

– It is not about being humble or simple, but unaware of your own worth. – She emphasizes.

This is why many women are unable of making friends. They underestimate themselves when they compare themselves to others.

This is what happened with Cristiane.

Until the day she decided to change. It was not easy, just like it’s not easy to put yourself out there.

There was an opportunity, and she spoke. Red in the face. She spoke again. Trembled. Insisted. She ignored the laughter of others. She overcame.

Rio de janeiro  

 

Today, Cristiane fights against that same shyness that is present in many women who are unaware of their own worth. Not an artificial worth, but an absolute truth. The one that was present during the Creation, when God created woman to be his special touch, a priceless gift.

– But, it’s not enough just to believe in yourself, – warns Fatima Matos, the third speaker. When self-confidence is associated with your faith in God, your worth becomes far above rubies. – She says.

Salvador – BA

 

Fatima also had a history of complexes. Even though her family was successful, she didn’t consider herself happy. And it was this deep sorrow that led her to try drugs. She also had OCD, a condition called obsessive-compulsive disorder, caused by excessive anxiety and nervousness.

Fátima Matos 

 

But she also changed. Once she was filled with a liberating Spirit, she became aware of her deliverance and independence.

– Because a woman’s value does not depend on other people’s approval, or what they say, think or stipulate. – She says.

And if in the face of an authoritarian society, women should have a standard, beauty or capacity; to God, her communion with Him is what makes her independent, able and free.

São Paulo 

 

But in a world where many women end up dying because they worry too much about the aesthetic standard, how do you make them understand that it is not the perfect nose, the sculptural body or perfect hair that will make them happy?

– When you understand that you should believe in yourself and your worth.
– explained Nubia Siqueira, the fourth speaker.

Núbia Siqueira (centro)  

 

– And when they finally realize that, they’ll be unshakeable. – Compeltes Cristiane. Yes, like a rock, because they know that they are what they think of themselves.

Nubia also had many reasons to feel like an ugly duckling for a while. She was the daughter of parents who apparently lived in harmony. However, she had to put her childhood aside and dedicate herself to her chores and caring for her siblings, while her mother worked, after her father left the family to live with another woman.

– After a while he came back, but it was not the same anymore. – She explains. Her family’s chaos became permanent with her father’s alcohol addiction. So you can imagine the fights, destruction and abuse that existed in her home. And of course, the inferiority complexes found the perfect place to settle within Nubia.

Goiânia – GO 

 

But she also made a turn around when she found her worth. And she didn’t just find herself. She fell in love at first sight, with her Deliverer. He was the One who showed her a world of possibilities outside her world of complexes. The same One that valued the woman back then, also valued her when she thought she was worthless. Nubia really could not help but fall in love with Him. This happened because she looked beyond the box she lived in and saw that she was much more than what she thought or knew about herself.

 

Brasília – DF 

 

– It’s about the redemption of your self-esteem; the courage to poke around what has been dormant for so long. – She emphasizes. But how can you achieve this feat when your only concern is what others say about you? How do you overcome shyness and save yourself from yourself?

The help to save yourself comes from prayer. Many women who identified themselves with the lecture went to the altar of their church to seek this “salvation.”

If the woman of the 21^st century, free and financially independent, remains tied-up and trapped inside herself, then she isn’t actually free. If she overcame prejudice and humiliation, and the devaluation of the Industrial Revolution, why does she still seem to be unappreciated, subdued and put down?

Curitiba – PR 

 

Why does the woman of the 21st century, the head of the household, the leader of companies and certain sectors of society, and self-sufficient in some aspects of life, continue blaming herself for her mistakes, lamenting over a supposed inferiority, dodging the right to acquire the best – including in her love life?

These are difficult questions to answer. It’s true. But the woman who still has complexes today may find the answer in another question that was asked by Cristiane Cardoso:

– If we are worthless, why does the Holy Spirit live within us?

It’s a matter of thinking. Analyzing. And deciding to change. The positive examples of inner transformation you saw above.

Belém – PA