While I think it is important for us as women to be aware of our makeup and how living out of feelings can trip us up and make our lives miserable, I don’t think becoming ‘un-feeling’ is the answer to our problems. I think a better idea is to begin accepting the facts of what God has to say to us and work on changing our feelings about those facts. Without realizing it, a little beginning of that process for me was the day I looked up the verses about what God says to women.
The day I sat down and looked up all those verses about what God says to women, I also looked up verses about what God says to men. Then, I decided to compare the two lists. I tried to match up verses on the men’s side with verses on the women’s side that went together. I found this to be very, very interesting. Let me share my lists with you (again, in no particular order):
To Men / To Women
* Eph 5:22-25 You must be the head of your home; you must love your wife
* Col 3:18 You are to be subject to your husband
* Prov 22:29 If you are skillful in your work it will earn you respect in the land
* Prov 11:16 If you are gracious you will attain honor
* Ps 112:1-10 If you fear the Lord your offspring will be mighty in the land
* Prov 14:1 If you are wise you will build up your house
* Matt 19:5 You must become one with your wife
* Gen 2:24 You are to become one with your husband
* I Cor 13:11 You must give up childish things
* Prov 19:13 No one wants to live with a contentious woman
* Js 5:12 You must have honesty and integrity
* I Tim 3:11 You must be dignified; not a malicious gossiper
* Col 3:19 Love your wives and don’t be harsh with them
* I Pet 3:12 You must be submissive and respectful
* Ps 119:9-16 It is important for you to be pure
* I Cor 11:8-9; Gen 2:18 You are a helper suitable for man; you were made for man
* I Tim 4:8 Godliness is much more valuable than bodily training
* I Tim 2:9-10 What you do is more important than outward adornment
* I Tim 6:11 You should not go after riches but pursue godliness
* Prov 31:30 Fearing the Lord brings praise; charm or beauty won’t
* I Cor 16:13; I Tim 4:12 You must stand firm in the faith; you must be an example
* I Tim 2:11-15 You need to learn to keep your mouth shut and accept instruction
* Prov 6:20-29 Lusting after women is a snare to be avoided at all cost
* Prov 12:4 Shaming your husband must be avoided at all cost
* Eph 6:4; Col 3:21 You must not provoke your children to anger
* Titus 2:3-5 You are to love your husband & children; be pure, be kind; your first priority is keeping house
* I Tim 5:8 You must provide for your household
* Prov 31:26-31 You are to care for your household and not be idle or lazy
Do you begin to see the beauty in this woman God created?
He created male and female to compliment each other; to walk hand in hand together; to accomplish His purposes in a more beautiful way. Sure, a man can keep house and a woman can run a business and sometimes circumstances make either of those scenarios necessary. But in comparing the two lists of verses against each other, it seems so obvious to me that God created man and woman for specific roles - He is to provide for his family, She is to care for them; He must stand firm, She is to accept instruction; He is to be the head, She is to be in subjection. You can even see the difference in make up come through - He is admonished about bodily training; She is admonished about outward adornment; His vices are purity and riches, Hers are trust/giving herself to her man and beauty…
I think a key to finding contentment and fulfillment as a woman might be found in choosing to accept the beauty in the role God created me for.
Thank you for compiling all of these verses. I'm going to print them out and keep them in my Bible as a reminder to myself.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
You're welcome, Betsy. That sounds like a great idea!
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