The highest calling for Christian women is not to be a wife, mother and homemaker.
Perhaps some of you were a little shocked by that statement. Good. That was my intent. ;) I will explain what I mean in a moment, but first for a little bit of clarification.
I believe that feminism is a dangerous inversion of a woman's biblical calling. The biblical calling for women is to fill the God-given role of being a wife, mother, and homemaker. While not all women will be married, they are still to act as women. Our society is falling apart because both men and women have lost their sense of place and purpose. Women want to be self-fulfilled by pursuing careers, but they often end up debilitating men from fulfilling their masculine role, which is to provide and protect. Many women feel they have the potential and ability to fill less "traditional" roles. These "career women" seek dominant positions, giving up their purpose as nurturers and managers of their homes to become driven, manipulative, and business-oriented. The next generation faces the fate of being lost and motherless, passed from school to day care and seeing their parents only after they have been worn out by a busy work-day and just want to plunk down in front of the TV. There are many other detrimental side-effects to a feminist society, but I will leave that for another time.
Perhaps some of you were a little shocked by that statement. Good. That was my intent. ;) I will explain what I mean in a moment, but first for a little bit of clarification.
I believe that feminism is a dangerous inversion of a woman's biblical calling. The biblical calling for women is to fill the God-given role of being a wife, mother, and homemaker. While not all women will be married, they are still to act as women. Our society is falling apart because both men and women have lost their sense of place and purpose. Women want to be self-fulfilled by pursuing careers, but they often end up debilitating men from fulfilling their masculine role, which is to provide and protect. Many women feel they have the potential and ability to fill less "traditional" roles. These "career women" seek dominant positions, giving up their purpose as nurturers and managers of their homes to become driven, manipulative, and business-oriented. The next generation faces the fate of being lost and motherless, passed from school to day care and seeing their parents only after they have been worn out by a busy work-day and just want to plunk down in front of the TV. There are many other detrimental side-effects to a feminist society, but I will leave that for another time.
In the end, the lie of feminism comes down to pride. We want to prove that we are just as good or better than men. We reject the protection and provision of men because we want the pride of doing things ourselves. Men are rebuffed and scorned when they so much as open a door for a lady. Little wonder that godly manhood is little to be seen in our culture. Pride. We want what seems best to us, rather than what is best for others. We want to be higher, to be able to support ourselves, rather than letting men have a position of dominance. A biblical view of relationships shows there is protection when we place ourselves under God-ordained authority. We can rest in the place in which God has put us, knowing that our authorities are ultimately responsible to Him, whether they be parents, husbands, teachers, pastors, or governments. There are a few verses that speak strongly into this issue that I believe are worth sharing:
1 Peter 3:1-5a - "Wives, in the same way [as Jesus submitted himself to death] submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty [...] should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves."
"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:12
"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Is 66:2
From these verses, one can see that being a wife and mother is not the highest calling for women. "What!?" you ask? Indeed, our HIGHEST calling is to humble ourselves on behalf of others, for the sake of our Lord. In these verses, God is calling all people, including women, to a life that is poured out for him - a life that strives to emulate the humility and love of Jesus. I would love to be a wife and mother someday, but my highest calling, now and forever, is to pour my life out in love for Christ.
My prayer is to be shaped into the image of my Savior.
My desire is to become a more transparent vessel of Immanuel.
I long to be consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit and present the ashes of my life as an acceptable aroma to my Lord. Hebrews 12:18-29 - "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
My prayer is to be shaped into the image of my Savior.
My desire is to become a more transparent vessel of Immanuel.
I long to be consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit and present the ashes of my life as an acceptable aroma to my Lord. Hebrews 12:18-29 - "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
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