The Glory and Beauty of Biblical Womanhood

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“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (emphasis mine)

Men and women are different. Equally valuable (Galatians 3:28), but created differently –designed by God to fulfill different roles in society and home.

For each of these, there is a distinct calling, privilege and responsibility.

My husband’s desire is to lead, protect and provide in our marriage and home. I want to support, love, nurture and be lead. I like viewing myself as his helper and getting excited about bettering his life and empowering him to have an impact for the kingdom of God. His wins are my wins.

And he loves me well. Because of this, we are truly a compliment to one another.

We get to revel in the rightness of this design for marriage. It has brought nothing but blessing into our lives.

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church… Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church…” Ephesians 5:22-25 (NIV)

Funny how God knows what He’s talking about if only we trust Him. He knows what’s best. He knows how He created us.

 “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18 (NIV)

Does it rub you the wrong way to be labeled a “helper?”

Does that seem inferior to you?

It needn’t. The very same word is used throughout the Bible to describe God as our helper (Pslam 33:20). We are made in His image, both men and women. This purpose is not demeaning.

In actuality, womanhood and the biblical roles of wife and mother are integral and high callings. There is a vision to be caught here.

Here’s what the Bible says:

Women are called to:

• bring up children (1 Timothy 5:10)
• show hospitality (1 Timothy 5:10)
• care for believers practical needs (1 Timothy 5:10)
• help those in trouble (1 Timothy 5:10)
• devote themselves to doing good deeds (1 Timothy 5:10)
• to be subject to their husbands (Titus 2:5)
• to love their husbands and children (Titus 2:4)
• to be self-controlled and pure (Titus 2:5)
• to be busy at home (Titus 2:5)
• to be kind (Titus 2:5)

In today’s world, many of us women fail to rise up into who we were created to be. Sadly, we miss out. Not because we choose to work inside or outside the home (the woman described in Proverbs 31 had many business ventures), but because we strive to control our husbands or believe that embracing the roles described above are beneath us and counter-productive to our cause.

We believe our importance, merit and value will be found in our personal achievements.

I know I did.

But what I’ve come to realize is, my role as homemaker can give me this same value… except better, because there’s no glamour or accolade to make my heart proud and steal my eternal rewards. It’s the gentle and quite calling of godly womanhood.

May God give us understanding of our critical role and privilege to give our husbands room to be the strong men He is calling them to be.

And may He give us understanding of our children’s deep need for solid models and guidance in this area.

When Anne Ortlund wrote Disciplines of the Home, she addressed the over-reach of women’s liberation. Today, the male/female lines are blurred in far more dire and destructive ways. Our children are told by Hollywood, their friends, culture and even schools that they have choice the matter of gender and sexuality.

What society doesn’t know is that God created each person wholistically (body, mind, spirit, heart) to be a man or a woman. Crossing these lines leads to heartache, confusion and darkness. It prohibits individuals from experiencing the sweet, pure fullness of who they are. It interferes with their relationship with God.

“…male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

For these very reasons, it has never been more important for us to embrace the calling God has put on our lives as men and women within our own homes –to set a solid example for our children and to show them the blessing and rightness that results from following this way. 

We must help our children understand who God created them to be, because if left to the world, they won’t know.

How would your home change if you embraced your biblical role as a woman?

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If you would like to do further study on Biblical Womanhood:

Anne recommends reading the following verses and writing out everything women should be and not be, do and not do.

• Proverbs 12:4, 14:1, 19:14, 21:9, 21:19, 31:10-31
• Matthew 15:28
• 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, 7:39, 11:3
• Ephesians 5:22
• 1 Peter 3:1-4
• Titus 2:3-5

The ideas in this post are adapted from Disciplines of the Home by Anne Ortlund.

*Reposted from April 21st, 2015.

 

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