"But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." --Genesis 2: 20b-22, NIV
This world shrieks a feminist agenda in our ears of how our equality with men means we are all the same. Gender neutrality seems to be the goal. And heaven forbid we celebrate our differences. Too often we conform—afraid of being politically incorrect, plagued with shame instead of rejoicing in God’s purpose for us. We even engage in male bashing.
Ladies, God wants us to be non-conformists. Embrace our womanhood. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). But more than that, we were made for a purpose.
“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’” (Genesis 2:18, NIV).
This is where the feminist ingrained inside me makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. “A helper? God created me to assist men? I don’t think so,” she says. But that is a misunderstanding of the word “helper” in the Bible. The Hebrew word for helper is ezer. And it is often used to describe our LORD.
God Almighty is the helper of the underprivileged, the poor, the fatherless. He is the one we cry out to for help. Our Helper, our Comforter, our Keeper.
If God helps me, does that mean He’s my assistant? My subordinate? No!
In the same way, we are not created in a subordinate role to men, but uniquely, purposefully different in order to help with the things they weren’t designed to do. Equal, but different.
The world says, “You can do anything a man can do—and better.”
God says, “You can do things men can’t do—for my glory.”
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, NIV).
He prepared them in advance. That means He designed me specifically for it. What a comfort! I think I’ll conform to God’s will. My purpose lies not in this world but in being His daughter and my husband’s helper.
With love in Christ,
Stephanie
My Father, allow me to always remember that helping the wonderful man that you put in my life, in my heart is what you purposely designed me for. Thank you, that together we are better because of our unique differences. Keep me from the temptation of believing the lies of this world that make me doubt that my gender differences are a good thing. I'm so thankful to be fearfully and wonderfully made by a generous Creator. Amen.