Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face [Paperback]

Martha Peace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2006

Covering issues from gossip and slander to PMS and legalism, Martha Peace, best-selling author of The Excellent Wife, offers biblical insight on problems women face. This straightforward, clear-cut book offers practical solutions in an ideal format for personal reading or group study.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: P & R Publishing (July 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596380381
• ISBN-13: 978-1596380387
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Victory over our problems!, November 16, 2006

By 

C. L. Blakey (Laguna Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face (Paperback)

Last week I finished reading Martha Peace's new book Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face. Most people are familiar with Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife and this book is just as poignant and biblically sound. Peace writes with spiritual depth and encouraging clarity as she addresses problems that women have with others, self and the world.In eleven chapters Martha covers gossip and slander, idolatrous emotional attachments, manipulation, hurt feelings, vanity, PMS, legalism, the feminist influence, the role of women in the church and trials. Seeing that list, I knew this book would be convicting! And it is, but she does not condemn and leave us feeling guilty. Martha's heart for helping women comes across very genuinely in her writing and her purpose it truly to exhort her readers to help them change.

In the first chapter Martha writes-

"There is nothing, however painful, that we must go through in vain. God will not only help us, but He will also use all things for our good and for His glory. What a comforting thought when we are in a trial or undergoing terrific pressure or temptation!"

She urges the reader to keep this perspective in all our struggles. This encouragement is especially timely as she continues to write very black and white about our struggles and how no excuses will do. If we have a 1 Peter approach to our weaknesses The Lord can accomplish His change in us.

There were a couple of sections that I thought about quite a bit. The first was from chapter 4-Manipulation: I'm supposed to respond how? Martha writes-

"Sinful manipulation is using unbiblical words and/or your countenance to bully another person into letting you have your way. All the while you know that if you cannot have your way, you can at least punish the other person in the process.

You know you are guilty of sinful manipulation when you don't graciously take "no" for an answer and keep trying to convince the other person to let you have your way. Certainly there may be times when an appeal is appropriate, but if the answer is sill "no," then you must see it as God's will for you at the moment."

She breaks manipulation down into a chart of tactics that women try with their husbands, parents, friends and children. She sees that most verbal manipulation falls into one of these categories: sweet talk, begging, crying, anger, the cold shoulder, accusations, and threats. She calls us to put off manipulations and let all we say and do be done in love.

The second one is from chapter 5, Hurt Feelings: What difference does it make what he intended? Martha tries to be clear on the differences between intentional and unintentional hurts. I am amazed at the authoritative clarity with which she describes these two problems.

She writes about intentional hurts-

"Intentional hurts are sinful. They may be in the form of slander, name-calling, malicious comments and acts, or cruel threats. Whatever the form, you can overcome them only be responding righteously, not by adding additional wickedness."

I was a little surprised at the bluntness of what she says about unintentional hurts-

"Unintentional hurts are sinful on the part of the person perceiving something as hurtful. Often the person perceiving something as hurtful is overly sensitive, shy, proud, and self-absorbed. Whatever form their sin tends to take, they are to have a righteous, humble response to others.

Instead of being offended and hurt, we must learn to give others the benefit of the doubt...We must be willing to feel uncomfortable in order to help others feel comfortable. It is never pleasant to feel uncomfortable, but it is a mark of maturity when your concern is greater for another person's feelings than your own."

This is just a sample of this book, and I hope that you will take time to read the rest for yourself. Martha Peace cuts through the self-esteem, entitlement, feministic message that many authors use in an attempt to help women in their problems and she speaks authoritatively from God's Word helping women see how He cares for us deeply and tenderly-even when we think others don't understand our struggles-and also that He is holy and requires our obedience in all areas of life. Only in Him can we be free from sin and victorious over these problems.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Damsels in Distress, October 16, 2008

By 

McMom (Bound for Glory) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face (Paperback)

Twice a month, I gather with some ladies from our church to read aloud and discuss a book. We just completed Martha Peace's book, Damsels in Distress. It has been a great study!

The last chapter focused on responding biblically to trials and I found myself examining the various trials I've experienced in my life and whether or not I've always responded to them in a godly way. To my shame, I determined that I am often a great big failure at trials; thankfully God uses them in my life anyway. :-)

And that's the point. Mrs. Peace points out that trials may initially bring out the worst in us: anger, bitterness, fear, laziness, self-focus, etc. And isn't that the truth? Our first reaction to stress or tribulation may expose hidden sin that needs to be purged, as the "worst in us" is revealed.

Yet, as Mrs. Peace points out, God uses conflict and trials to expose and show us our sin, prune it off, and grow in us the precious fruit of righteousness:

"But thankfully, this 'worst' is pruned off as God convicts us of our sin and helps us turn from sin to righteousness. The pain from God's pruning will fade as the fruit of righteousness flowers for all to see." - Martha Peace

All the chapters were good and included many topics relevent to women. Topics like PMS, gossip and slander, manipulation, vanity, and legalism. Mrs. Peace teaches from a Reformed perspective and is doctrinally sound. I highly recommend this book for personal or group study.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, truly refreshing., October 25, 2008

By 

Webfoot (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face (Paperback)

Last year sometime I read Martha Peace's book, Damsels in Distress. It is a wonderful, Biblical treatment of the kinds of difficulties and problems that women face. It is decidedly Christ-centered, God-glorifying, Word-honoring, and woman-loving in its emphasis.


Martha is kind and gentle with her readers, but firm. She is honest with herself and encourages women to be honest before God.

Here is my summary of the first chapter of her book. maybe it will encourage more to read her book. I purchased my copy at Mars Hill, Ballard Campus. Sorry, Amazon.

-------------------------

Chapter 1 - Casting All Your Cares on Whom?


In this chapter, Mrs. Peace begins with a God-ward focus, rather than a focus on ourselves. Psychoanalysis encourages us to look inward in order to find solutions to our personal problems. The Word of God calls us to look outside ourselves to God.


If we are to cast our cares on God, as Scritpure tells us, then Who is He? Why can we trust Him with our problems? What is He like?

1. God loves us. p. 19, 20

Romans 5:8; Rom. 8:38, 39; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 4:9


2. God is compassionate.

Isaiah 30:18; Matthew 9:36; Psalm 103:8; Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:4,5


3. God is faithful

1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 10:23; 1 Peter 4:19


"Learning about God and what He is like gave me greater stability and hope in my walk with the Lord. It gave me a compass to guide me as I though through problems."



Mrs. Peace goes on to talk about how God sent a Christian into her life to first share the Gospel with her, - including praying for her salvation along with her church, - and then to disciple her - including telling her the truth when necessary.


She makes the point that enemies will just tell you what you want to hear, but true friends will tell you the truth about yourself.


She then concludes that just because one becomes a Christian does not mean that all our problems will just go away. What we have, though, is comfort and refuge in the Lord Himself, as well as a Christian family to encourage us and correct us along the way.

She ends with this passage:


1 Peter 5:6,7
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.



---------------


I like what she says, and agree almost totally. I think that she should have included God's justice in her list of attributes. After all, it is because of our sinfulness and the condemnation of the Just Judge that we have difficulties in the first place.