Women Personality and Mental Health

Human beings are like the reed that grows at the water’s edge. We bend in whichever direction the favorable winds blow. Yet, throughout the history of mankind, God has chosen men of “reed”, broken them, and shaped them into men of “rock”.

Two very prominent instances come to mind. One was Simon Peter.
When Simon first encountered Jesus, on the shores of Lake Galilee, he was a struggling fisherman. When the Lord asked him to cast his nets in deeper waters for a catch, the “reed” in him had his doubts, but he did as he was told. His obedience was rewarded with abundance of fish, and when called to be a “fisher of men”, Simon left everything behind to follow Jesus.

Later on, when Jesus came to the disciples, walking on water, Simon got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. But the strong wind and choppy sea brought out the “reed” in him, and his loss of faith resulted in him sinking into the water.
But, when Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” it was Simon who answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus’ response was, “… so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church …” (Mt 16: 13 - 18)

Yet, down the road, Peter the rock, would be rebuked by Jesus and even called Satan, because the human “reed” in him again came to the fore, although it was only to protect Jesus from harm.
The “reed” in Simon was finally broken when, as Jesus had predicted, he denied the Lord, not once, but three times! The bitter tears of Peter washed away the past and shaped him into the rock he became, as the first Shepherd to whom Jesus entrusted his “sheep”.

Another instance of a man’s journey from “reed” to “rock” was of Moses. This great man of God was born at a time when the king of Egypt had decreed that every new-born Hebrew boy was to be drowned in the river Nile.
His mother saved him by placing him in a basket made of reeds. The king’s daughter found the basket floating at the edge of the river and, eventually, adopted Moses.

A grown-up Moses was appalled to see his people mistreated by the Egyptians and ended up murdering one of them. Forced to flee, he settled in Midian, married the priest Jethro’s daughter, and became a shepherd of his father-in-law’s sheep.
When the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush and asked him to go to the Egyptian king to seek the release of the Israelites in Egypt, the “reed” in him did not have the confidence to accomplish this mission.

The humble man paraded out his numerous negatives to show the Lord that he was not up to the task, but when the Lord used his “stick” to give him a solid back-bone, he went ahead boldly to do the Lord’s bidding.
“There has never been a prophet in Israel like Moses; the LORD spoke with him face to face. No other prophet has ever done miracles and wonders like those that the LORD sent Moses to perform against the king of Egypt, his officials, and the entire country. No other prophet has been able to do the great and terrifying things that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” (Deut 34: 10 - 12)

So, how do men of “reed” become men of “rock”? Simply by accepting the Lord’s plan for us. When we say “Here I am” to the Lord, he brings all his power, through the Holy Spirit, to enable us to accomplish the task he has set for us.