On Godly Femininity
My friend Rachel recently wrote an amazing post on her blogs about femininity. My reasons for stating this? Well, she writes amazing points and views- and so this post is really by her. She echoes my own thoughts perfectly!
I've always been feminine. Yes, I did go through what we call 'jean disease,' where everywhere you go you wear jeans, or pants of some sort, and don't care for skirts/dresses. I went throught it- and you know what, the reason why I started is because a lot of my friends were wearing them regularly. I wasn't comfortable, and went along with the crowd, and felt I needed to fit in. Then, several months ago, I peeled off my shell. Now, everywhere I go, I wear skirts/dresses! It's my feminine side! And, believe me, it's not because everyone is wearing them- no, siree! G-d helped me love who I am- and the person inside of me. I try to never be like anyone else because G-d has created me with the purpose of being who He made me to be. No, I don't know what His purpose in life for me is just yet, but when He calls, I'll be ready!
No matter where you are, if you are a young, teen aged lady-- in particular, a Christian one, then you are probably surrounded by many different expectations. On one end of the spectrum, you're probably bombarded with the world's standards of true 'beauty' (You know, you have to look like all of the actresses in Hollywood). Even if you're not in public school, you can hear these things from neighbors, movies, just about anywhere. Sadly, these ideas are everywhere. On the other end of the spectrum, you may be from a conservative Christian home (as am I) but are sometimes overwhelmed because it seems that many Christians deem it 'ungodly' if don't know how to sew or that you need to marry or you're not obeying G-d's commands.
Is there something wrong with these pictures? Yes. Do they need to be addressed? Certainly. I want to talk a little bit about our world's feminist movement that is growing alarmingly quickly; and I'd also like to look at how some Christians view femininity and what the problems are with that view.
I think one of the main problems with the modern feminism movement is that women are always saying they want "equality" with men. The problem is, we were made to be different.
Ephesians 5:22-33 "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. "
And Colossians 3:18 "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
Notice that G-d never gives the command for husbands to submit to their wives. No, that was not His plan in marriage. His plan was, and is, for women to submit to their husbands. Women have different and distinct roles from what men do. At the same time, we are all equal in our value to G-d.
Here is a paragraph from http://www.gotquestions.org/women-pastors.html. I myself will only quote the second-to last paragraph:
"God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers, or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching men or having spiritual authority over them. This logically would preclude women from serving as pastors/preachers. This does not make women less important, by any means, but rather gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s plan and His gifting of them."
On the other hand, some Christians are combating the feminist movement by having many rules that are not necessarily Biblical. I believe that, as Christians, we need to be careful that the rules we have come from G-d and that we are not being 'old-fashioned' simply for the sake of being old-fashioned, and calling it godliness. What do I mean? Well, just because it's old-fashioned does not make it godly. We need to realize that, yes, some things that are godly will be labeled as 'old-fashioned' by the world. but it's important that we are determining what our convictions are and not just doing things because they seem old-fashioned and therefore we assume they are Biblical. In the simplest terms, godly things may be called old-fashioned, but old-fashioned things are not necessarily godly. I hope that makes sense.
In closing, I would like to encourage all the young ladies that read this blog to keep aspiring after godliness and biblical femininity. G-d is so awesome, and He loves you so much. I appreciate all the wonderful, godly young ladies that I know who are aspiring to do His will for their lives. I'll close with a Bible verse,
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." ~ Titus 2:3-5
I've always been feminine. Yes, I did go through what we call 'jean disease,' where everywhere you go you wear jeans, or pants of some sort, and don't care for skirts/dresses. I went throught it- and you know what, the reason why I started is because a lot of my friends were wearing them regularly. I wasn't comfortable, and went along with the crowd, and felt I needed to fit in. Then, several months ago, I peeled off my shell. Now, everywhere I go, I wear skirts/dresses! It's my feminine side! And, believe me, it's not because everyone is wearing them- no, siree! G-d helped me love who I am- and the person inside of me. I try to never be like anyone else because G-d has created me with the purpose of being who He made me to be. No, I don't know what His purpose in life for me is just yet, but when He calls, I'll be ready!
No matter where you are, if you are a young, teen aged lady-- in particular, a Christian one, then you are probably surrounded by many different expectations. On one end of the spectrum, you're probably bombarded with the world's standards of true 'beauty' (You know, you have to look like all of the actresses in Hollywood). Even if you're not in public school, you can hear these things from neighbors, movies, just about anywhere. Sadly, these ideas are everywhere. On the other end of the spectrum, you may be from a conservative Christian home (as am I) but are sometimes overwhelmed because it seems that many Christians deem it 'ungodly' if don't know how to sew or that you need to marry or you're not obeying G-d's commands.
Is there something wrong with these pictures? Yes. Do they need to be addressed? Certainly. I want to talk a little bit about our world's feminist movement that is growing alarmingly quickly; and I'd also like to look at how some Christians view femininity and what the problems are with that view.
I think one of the main problems with the modern feminism movement is that women are always saying they want "equality" with men. The problem is, we were made to be different.
Ephesians 5:22-33 "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. "
And Colossians 3:18 "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
Notice that G-d never gives the command for husbands to submit to their wives. No, that was not His plan in marriage. His plan was, and is, for women to submit to their husbands. Women have different and distinct roles from what men do. At the same time, we are all equal in our value to G-d.
Here is a paragraph from http://www.gotquestions.org/women-pastors.html. I myself will only quote the second-to last paragraph:
"God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers, or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching men or having spiritual authority over them. This logically would preclude women from serving as pastors/preachers. This does not make women less important, by any means, but rather gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s plan and His gifting of them."
On the other hand, some Christians are combating the feminist movement by having many rules that are not necessarily Biblical. I believe that, as Christians, we need to be careful that the rules we have come from G-d and that we are not being 'old-fashioned' simply for the sake of being old-fashioned, and calling it godliness. What do I mean? Well, just because it's old-fashioned does not make it godly. We need to realize that, yes, some things that are godly will be labeled as 'old-fashioned' by the world. but it's important that we are determining what our convictions are and not just doing things because they seem old-fashioned and therefore we assume they are Biblical. In the simplest terms, godly things may be called old-fashioned, but old-fashioned things are not necessarily godly. I hope that makes sense.
In closing, I would like to encourage all the young ladies that read this blog to keep aspiring after godliness and biblical femininity. G-d is so awesome, and He loves you so much. I appreciate all the wonderful, godly young ladies that I know who are aspiring to do His will for their lives. I'll close with a Bible verse,
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." ~ Titus 2:3-5