The New Eve

“Women today are inundated by confusing messages about who they ought to be.
The New Eve
goes straight to the heart of who they were created to be. Robert Lewis does a masterful job of weaving challenges, stories, and biblical truths together. This book will help women gain insights into making their unique lives better, richer, and more meaningful in a way that glorifies God.”

“Robert Lewis sounds a much-needed message as he calls women to walk in the feminine freedom and fullness that result from embracing our core biblical callings.
The New Eve
dispels the current cultural fog regarding what it means to be a woman by looking to God's design, as revealed in the Scripture, for wisdom, insight, and direction.”

“Women today have unprecedented opportunities and possibilities before them, but this great new freedom also brings a new dilemma: how to make the best choices for their own good and that of their families. In
The New Eve
, Robert Lewis gives women of all ages a picture of what God intended for us from the beginning and a clear vision for how we make choices that liberate us to live with purposeful direction. No matter your stage in life, all women can benefit from his coaching. Having known Robert and his wife Sherard since college, I can confidently say this is not just great material. It is a reflection of two godly people who are always working to live marriage and family as God intended. I highly recommend it and hope it will be widely read.”

To women everywhere

who are bold enough
to trust Jesus Christ
with their lives and their priorities.

Eternity belongs to you.

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Preface

1. I Am Woman

2. The View behind the Choices You Make

3. What the Issues Are

4. A Gender Journey into Genesis

5. Eve and the Fall

6. The Power of Gender Vision

7. The Seasons of a Woman's Life (Part 1)

8. The Seasons of a Woman's Life (Part 2)

9. Choosing to Live with Purpose

10. Engaging a Man

11. The Best Marriages—the Happiest Wives

12. Your Biggest Challenge, Your First Bold Move

Postscript: How You and Your Family Shape the Future

Small Group Study Guide and Discussion Questions

Notes

I
never thought a book written by a man could give me such an eye-opening picture of who I should be as a woman—or that it would have such a big impact on my life.

It will impact your life, too … if you let it.

Many of you might be familiar with Robert Lewis' organization, Men's Fraternity, that has somehow attracted hundreds of thousands of bleary-eyed men into early-morning video Bible studies across the country. While we might have thought men just wanted to have their own version of a good Beth Moore talking-to, there was something much deeper attracting these guys. Robert was giving them a vision, a model for what it means to be a godly, biblically-guided man in a culture that no longer agrees on what that ideal looks like—or whether it's even necessary. A model that men could measure their personal and professional life by … and a challenge to change it if it didn't measure up.

Well, ladies, it's our turn. Many of us try to live a godly life and follow the Bible's specific precepts. But without ever intending to, we could still be fighting against how God has designed us—simply because the world of women looks so very
different from the way it did in biblical times and we haven't had a modern-day model to go by.

This is not just an academic issue. We have professional and personal choices that were unheard of for women two thousand years ago; but God has still designed us as women in a specific way, and that design affects everything in our lives, whether we like it or not. Reading this book, I finally realized: I can commit my daily life and my eternal future to Christ, and I can try to follow the Bible's directives as best I can—but my most important choices could still be at odds with how God has designed me! And if that's the case, I will have regret instead of contentment. What's more, I will drastically limit my ability to be a good steward of the gifts God has given me.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or an airplane-hopping executive, a student or a senior adult, this book will give you a modern, encouraging vision for what it means to be a godly, biblically guided woman in the twenty-first century. In an era where women rightfully have high expectations personally and professionally, and
can
do almost anything we set our minds to, this model will help us navigate what we
should
do—and should not do.

I know this has profoundly helped me. As some of you might guess, I'm extremely busy both professionally and personally. I'm a best-selling author, columnist, and traveling speaker; but I'm also a wife and a mom to two young children. I try to be a supportive wife to my husband's entrepreneurial business, but I also have my own.

And privately, for years, I have been torn by how to balance it all; how to keep all the plates spinning. With
The New Eve
, I finally feel like I have a clear and realistic model that I can look up to
and respect as a modern Christian woman; something that can help me make the decisions that will lead to relief, delight, and fulfillment instead of regret.

That doesn't mean those decisions are easy. For me, it has meant a willingness to reexamine some professional opportunities in light of personal ones. For others, it may mean examining whether you are fully utilizing your unique God-given gifts for the impact He intends you to have. But once you make these decisions, they will
fit.
You—like me—will feel like you're finally functioning in the way you were designed for. The specific answers will be wonderfully individual for every wonderfully individual woman, but the vision of womanhood is the same.

Be willing to be challenged, sisters. The end result will be worth it.

—Shaunti Feldhahn

T
wo are better than one,” the Scripture says, “because they have a good return for their labor” (Eccles. 4:9). I've found this to be true in my writing, and
The New Eve
is certainly no exception. Each book is clearly “better” because of the help given by a number of very talented and supportive people.

First and foremost on this list is Jeremy Howard. Shortly after finishing his Ph.D. program, Jeremy made a courageous move to Little Rock to assist me in a number of writing projects. I can honestly say that without Jeremy's energetic spirit, superb professionalism, and writing partnership,
The New Eve
would have never found its way into print. Thanks, Jeremy, for all your hard work and the positive attitude in which you did it. It has been a privilege working with you. My best to you and Simone and your family as you now embark on a new writing adventure.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude as well to a number of special women—Gayle Carpenter, Deborah Harris, Cheryl Rainy, Virginia Robinson, and Linda Slaton—who took the time to read my ever-evolving manuscript and offer their insightful comments and helpful suggestions. Ladies, please know that your input made this book better in a number of significant ways. A special thanks to my wonderful daughters, Rebekah Lewis and
Elizabeth James, for the hours they put in reading and re-reading specific chapters and talking out with me various ideas and concepts. You both made a real difference. I would also like to say a special thank-you to Shaunti Feldhahn for going the extra mile and giving me her in-depth analysis of the manuscript. What a much needed assist that was!

Much of the artwork you find in
The New Eve
came from the creative mind of Nancy Carter. Nancy has helped me with graphics on a number of my books through the years and always does so with a bright smile and a servant's heart. Thanks
again
, Nancy.

I also want to thank Lisa Fischer for being willing to carve out time for me in her busy schedule to serve as my host for the Discussion Starter DVD that was produced to support New Eve discussion groups and the study guide found in the back of the book. (This DVD is available at www.mensfraternity.com.) You did a great job, Lisa, and you made it fun too.

Speaking of video, Jud Archer and his crew—Steve Childress, Thomas Rogers, Claes Jonasson, James Groves, Nancy Shepard, and Dave Calhoun—deserve a special high five for the great work they did in filming and editing. Jud, it was like old times being with you again in the editing suite.

Dr. Margaret Feurtado graciously took the lead in holding this project up in prayer, and how grateful and blessed I was that she did! Thank you, Margaret.

Ruthie George also deserves a special mention. It was Ruthie who first urged me to speak on this subject and later gave me the opportunity to do so while she served as the Women's Ministry Director of our church. Ruthie, I hope you like what you started.

Thanks to Helen Carter, my administrative assistant, for all the support she gave Jeremy and me during the long days of this writing project. Each day we were greeted with a big, bright “GOOD MORNING!”

Then there is the publishing team at B&H, beginning with David R. Shepherd and Leonard G. Goss, who head the editorial squad. Lisa Parnell was the project manager for this book, Diana Lawrence oversaw the cover design, and David Chandler was responsible for physical production of the book and the DVD. Thank you all for believing in this project and making it come to life. It's been a pleasure working with you.