This book is about women taking responsibility for their own spiritual growth. Such growth need not depend on one man (husband) or a group of men, and we need to question any theory that modifies the individual's responsibility toward God.
Gage points out the frustrations of being female in the 1980s and the confusion of the churches on what role women should play in ministry. In the debate, one group sacrifices the relationship of marriage as it encourages women to pursue their rights of personhood, while an other group sacrifices personhood to preserve the institution of marriage, and equates passivity with submission. The author emphasizes that individual spiritual accountability begins with a response to the cross of Christ.
How does a woman function in a malfunctioning society? How does she serve in a church where she is underchallenged, her talents largely unused, and her potential ignored? Joy Gage holds a kind of "bloom where you are planted" philosophy in which she challenges a woman to grow spiritually in whatever situation she finds herself, to prepare for opportunities that may arise in ministry, and to take advantage of what is avail able. She sees fighting the system as a time-consuming process and suggests that a woman needs to "look for creative, personal solutions to system-imposed problems." Spiritual inner strength is seen as more valuable than self-sufficiency.
Gage writes with such wisdom, taking a realistic look at what women can expect in the church today, that I found myself underlining much of the book. She points out that regardless of the barriers of gender restriction, there is no barrier in exercising love "this is the great est ministry priority women can have."
