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:

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?


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.

Verses on Biblical Womanhood

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

*Reposted from April 21st, 2015.

 

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Comments

  1. Tami says:

    Great article!

  2. Michelle says:

    This is a beautiful article, in which I agree completely. I think where I struggle is that I felt I was living this version of life for 25 years until my marriage ended and now I feel lost as to how/where I fit in. I can’t seem to be the Mother I was before and I long for that person that I was called to support and grow with. It seems I am an old one in today’s culture. Thank you for sharing and I know that this is the basis for families and marriage!

  3. Leeanna Lunn says:

    Titus 2:5 translates from the Greek as “manager of her home”, and many many women in Scripture, including the Proverbs 31 woman, worked outside the home. So whereas being a SAHM is a glorious calling!!! it is not required as long as you are managing your home as a steward of the Lord and raising your children in the love and fear of the Lord,also as His steward with their lives.

    And not all women are called to be wives and mothers. The highest calling on your life is the calling God gives you, and if that is a single missionary to Zimbabwe, so be it.

    Otherwise, LOVED IT!!

  4. Sue says:

    I truly enjoyed this article! It is so true, and society does seem to place much emphasis on women obtaining careers, and being “successful”. The ultimate success is a happy, God-centered home, spouse, and children, in my opinion. Many of us need to work outside the home out of necessity, but home is a haven for us. My husband and I read the Bible every morning before work, and he actually just mentioned how strong women are and what they did from the Bible, just yesterday! Then I found this site on Pinterest last night…hmm, divine intervention??
    Anyway, thanks so much for this site, and these excellent articles!

  5. Stacey says:

    Thank you for the book recommendation. I can’t wait to do these exercises with my daughter! Great article:)

  6. Yes! Everything about this post, yes! I truly wish more women saw the value in their roles as a “helper”! It is amazing how wonderful life can be when we follow the Lord’s instruction.

  7. Jennifer says:

    Make a Difference not a Scene. That is what we are called to do.

  8. Kirsten says:

    This is a topic I keep finding myself pondering. I was raised to get a career and I’m, in some ways, very thankful for that. But how different my life would be if I had been raised to think that my ultimate career was as a wife, and hopefully, mother. So this is something I’ll be working with my littles on for the next 14+ years. That there’s value in being a wife. And that it’s hard work and takes dedication, too.

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