Equal

The world is a mess of thousands of different beliefs about gender right now. I have honestly never felt alarmed myself about being a woman. I've never felt unequal to men. I've never felt completely demeaned for being female.

I do, however, struggle to correctly communicate my belief. Sometimes I'm not even sure what my belief is, because I've never felt uncomfortable being a woman.

I'm fine "submitting" to my husband. I never felt that it was making myself less valuable as a human being. I've never struggled to accept that role.

Others may have a different feeling while reading this, but know that this is coming from a woman that hasn't found difficulty in this area.

Studying the book of Judges, I feel like I finally understand some of the difference between roles given to men and women in a very new and vibrant light.

Deborah was a judge. It wasn't common, but it wasn't wrong. Culture has a lot to do with normalcy, but the Bible is pretty clear about roles given to men and roles given to women. Some (like me) would render the biblical teaching to be that women aren't to be overseers. Like elders/pastors. I know some disagree with this, but walk with me through the point I'm about to make.

Having different roles does not provide different worth.

Equality suggests so many warped ideas. There's always some reasons someone is not being treated equal. But equal does not mean equivalent.

A man is not a woman.

A woman is not a man.

Man and woman are not equivalent. They are equal. They are equal because they are both made in the image of God.

Further, if roles we play really only serve the purpose of a name for the works we perform (a man is the head of the household, a woman is a help, etc...), then roles really don't have as much power as the world thinks.

Because works don't do anything. None of them.

The gospel is completely clear that our works do not add anything to our value to the Lord. Salvation comes not from our works, but His. Our value is not determined by works.

Which means our value is not determined by our roles.

Which means our value is not severed by gender.

Or a title.

Or an elusive idea of what equality even means.

It makes sense, then, that the world is all a mess over this stuff. The world is all about works. Naturally, there'd be  a feud about works. The world judges worth based on works. Of course there's a ruckus about "equality" and "worth" if we judge in this way.

Our roles we play serve to point back to the Father. We are of equal value, but showing that in different ways.

We demonstrate the raw, incredible creativity of our Maker in the creativity we possess.

We demonstrate the heart wrenching, perfect Love of the Father when we look at our own children and just want to kiss them all over their sticky, messy faces.

We reenact His Love when we turn from our natural responses of hate, and decide to think of another's feelings instead of our own.

We can show strength. That came from Him.

We can possess beauty. That came from Him.

We can be gentle. He was first.

We can be wise. Because He is.

Everything we are is because He is.

We show different things, different reflections of our Maker. Each manifestation is different. They are not equivalent. They're different characteristics, or reflections. But they all equal the same thing. Him.

So I feel challenged by this.

I somehow feel more secure in my role as a woman, even though I never really felt deflated for being one. I feel refreshed, and reaffirmed in my worth as woman created by God, and for God.

I know I'm hardly scratching the surface of the greatness of this truth. I feel overwhelmed (in the best way) about it already. It's a beautiful thing.