In today's post I want to share some common lies we might have been told about Christian womanhood. I think it is important to realize that these may be rooted in truth, but they have become so extreme and twisted.
LIE 1: WE NEED TO BE MARRIED TO FIND HAPPINESS.
Honestly, this is one I believed for so long. In Genesis 2:18 it says: "Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." So we can assume that means being married is in God's original design for humanity. While I don't doubt that it was His plan, young ladies waiting around for their future husbands to fulfill them is a dangerous game. Relying on ANYONE but God for happiness will surely disappoint in the long run. Only God can truly satisfy us, and seeking Him more will in turn bring happiness to our life.
For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. Psalm 92:4
LIE 2: WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME.
Shocker here…God doesn't tell us that scripture! He makes it known in several passages that women should make their homemaking a priority (Titus 2:3-5, 1 Timothy 5:13-15, Proverbs 31:27-28, to name a few), but working outside the home is not a sin! I personally believe that all women are called to be keepers of their home, but many of us (myself included) have had to look for outside work for various reasons. I think the important thing to remember is that there are accounts of women working in the Bible, and that we need to seek God's will for us in this matter. Are we working for personal satisfaction and neglecting our homes? If so, that may be a reason to reevaluate our priorities. As for women working in the Bible, we have the example of Lydia (Acts 16) and the ideal Proverbs 31 woman (verses 18 and 24). Ultimately, working outside the home is a choice you and your husband (or father, if you are unmarried and under his authority) need to prayerfully make.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
LIE 3: SUBMISSION TO OUR HUSBAND OR FATHER IS AN OUTDATED BIBLICAL CONCEPT.
Oh friends, I feel as though I could write a whole BOOK on this! I have personally found that many Christian women I know do not feel like they need to follow the Biblical command of submitting to their husband's authority. I am specifically addressing wives here because parental submission is often easier for people to understand and accept, but marital seems to be an issue. Did you know that marital submission is mentioned six times in the New Testament (Colossians 3:18, 1 Timothy 2:11, Titus 2:5 , 1 Peter 3:1, 1 Corinthians 14:34 Ephesians 5: 22)? That may not seem like a lot, but it is more than once, so I am taking that to mean it is important! Since this topic was written about in letters to early churches, modern day Christian use that as an excuse to disregard it, saying that is was only for a specific culture or region. But I personally feel that it is most certainly still applicable today, since it was mentioned so frequently! This is a topic I could literally go on and on about, but no amount ofbblabbering will convince someone to see the validity of this command. It is truly something a woman needs to desire in her heart.
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Ephesians 5:22
LIE 4: THERE IS ONE MODESTY STANDARD FOR US ALL.
MY personal standard is no pants, only skirts or dresses. But my views are different from your views. My standards are different than your standards. My convictions are different from your convictions. Modesty is not a one size fits all solution, contrary to what you may have heard. We often refer to the instruction in 1 Timothy 2:9 that says "I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes" and twist that to say that one form of modesty is better than others. But while you may enjoy wearing floor length skirts and high-buttoned blouses, I am not comfortable in that. Similarly, I am fine wearing sleeveless tops but you may not be comfortable doing so. I am not wrong, you are not wrong. If we truly seek God and desire to show our respect for Him and ourselves through modest dress, I believe we are on the right track. We should be desiring to live in a modest way that crosses every part of our lives, from dress to speech.
I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 1 Timothy 2:9-10
If you have previously believed these things, please don't feel as though I am attacking you. They are all things I thought to be true as well, but through a lot of reflection and study, I can see now that they are not. So where do we go from here? Turn to Scripture, read what it says about the above statements, and seek truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment