I Corinthians 11:8-12, “For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.”
In the beginning of time, God created the world and then rested. Then he created man and rested. Then God created woman. Since then neither God nor man has rested. But why did God create women? Well, he took one look at the man he created and thought, “I can do better!” When God created woman, he was working late on the 6th day when an angel came by and asked, “Why spend so much time on her?” The lord answered, “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her?” “She must function in all kinds of situations, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart. She must do all this with only two hands, she cures herself when sick and can work 18 hours a day.” The Angel was impressed. “Just two hands? Impossible! And this is the standard model?” The Angel came closer and touched the woman. “But you have made her so soft, Lord.” “She is soft,” said the Lord, “But I have made her strong. You can't imagine what she can endure and overcome.” "Can she think?” The Angel asked. The Lord answered, "Not only can she think, but she can also reason and negotiate." The Angel touched her cheeks. "Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her." "She is not leaking, it is a tear," the Lord corrected the Angel. "What's it for?" Asked the Angel. The Lord said, "Tears are her way of expressing her grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride." This made a big impression on the Angel, "Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything. A woman is indeed marvelous." Lord said, "Indeed she is. She has strength that amazes a man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. She holds happiness, love, and opinions. She smiles when she feels like screaming. She sings when she feels like crying, cries when happy and laughs when afraid. She fights for what she believes in. Her love is unconditional. Her heart is broken when a next-of-kin or a friend dies but she finds strength to get on with life." The Angel asked, "So she is a perfect being?" The lord replied: "No. She has just one drawback, she often forgets what she is worth."
An English professor wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly. The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing." The women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing."
Psalm 119:73 states, “Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.” Why did God create a woman in the first place? God made the decision to make a wife for Adam. God loved Adam and wanted him to be complete. Hence the romantic term, “You complete me.” God knew that Adam wouldn't continue to be happy if he remained alone. Because God loved Adam and wanted what was best for him, he decided to make a wife for him.
Psalm 46:5 says, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” God is with women always, and even in the most difficult of times, He is there to support them and bring them strength for the new day. What is a godly woman according to the Bible? She is diligent, has a keen sense for business matters, is compassionate, is prepared for the future, is a good teacher, is dedicated to her family and above all else possesses the primary characteristic of biblical wisdom, the fear of the Lord." Her virtue shows as she shuns sinfulness. As a modern virtuous woman, keeps the Lord at the center of her life. She seeks Him in all she does and builds her life on the cornerstone of her personal relationship with Christ. As you start your day, spend time with Him in prayer and in the Word.
A godly woman is as generous as possible, making it a practice to give to those in need. A godly woman explores all of Scripture, keeps the mind and heart of God close to her own, and remains faithful in all things. What is a woman's purpose in life? Although every woman's personal life’s purpose will be different, a woman's true-life purpose in general, really is to create and not destroy. It is to leave your family and friends with more hope, love, and emotional resources than they had before. It's to live her passion so that she can be an example to others. God created us to be in meaningful relationships. One of the first orders of business was for Adam to name all the animals that God had created. God’s diagnosis was that Adam needed a helper. Adam needed someone like himself who could come along side of him and help him to accomplish the job that had been given to him. The truth is that Adam was all alone. None of the animals he named was in any way like him and no doubt their pairings highlighted to him his lack of someone to complement and help him. 1 Corinthians 11:9, “Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” So, God created woman to take away Adam’s loneliness. Eve’s creation satisfied Adam’s longing for companionship. A good wife will always support her husband and help him in any way, as evidenced by this story: A group of tourists visited a crocodile farm and were taken out into the middle of a lake in a caged barge. The owner of the barge launched a daring proposal. Whoever dares to jump in, swim to shore and survive will get 1 million dollars. Nobody dared to move, suddenly a man splashed into the water and desperately swam towards the shore while he was chased by all the crocodiles. With great luck he swam to shore safely. The owner announced; “We have a brave winner.” After collecting their reward, the couple returned to the hotel and upon arrival, one of the guests told the desk clerk how brave he had been to jump in. The man who won the million said to the guest; “I didn't jump, someone pushed me!” His wife, standing behind him, smiled a really big smile. The moral of this story is: "Behind every successful man, is a woman who pushes him."
No matter what your life has looked like, God is here to comfort and guide you through any hardship, much like a mother would. We know this because the truths in the Bible tell us that God immediately activated a rescue plan when we became wayward children. In Psalm 139:13-14, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
As helper, a woman is a man’s equal who walks beside him, helping him to do what he cannot do on his own. “The woman was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him.” If you are a husband, you must understand that your wife is your equal. She also needs your protection. She is also to be deeply cherished and loved by you. The Bible says that God brought the woman to man. As God had brought all the animals to Adam to see what he would name them, so to God brought his latest creation before Adam to see what he would name her. And name her he does. Genesis 3:20, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” In the person before him Adam recognized that God had given him one who was his perfect match. For God hath created the earth, and it was good. Then God created woman, and it was better.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” God formed the first man out of dust and a breath of life and gave him the job of caretaker of the garden. But things weren’t perfect. The man was alone, and this wasn’t good. Something was missing. When Adam slept, God took one of his ribs and made a complementary partner for him, a helper and a perfect match, a woman. Genesis 2:24, says, “Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Woman was created to be the mirror image of man and his complement to help him. One can never really have control. There’s a simple reason for this, and that is that one was never meant to control all things at once. Both must rely on God for that. He is the only one that can control all things. He also can change anything in a moment.
Women were created for several reasons. To help. To share. To encourage. To show compassion. So that man and woman together can show the world a beautiful partnership. A partnership that portrays how God interacts with His flock, the church. God leads and the church follows. Woman was indeed created to be a helper to man, but that doesn’t mean she’s limited in what she can do. Proverbs 31 says a lot about a woman and gives a vast description of the many ways women improve the world.
• She brings value to her husband.
• She makes things with her hands.
• She feeds her family and adds variety to their food.
• She serves her family tirelessly.
• She builds up finances and works like a businessperson.
• She works hard at what she puts her mind to.
• She has compassion for and helps the needy.
• She provides clothing for her family.
• Her husband is respected because of the way she builds him up.
• She brings strength and dignity to the people around her.
• She offers wisdom freely.
• She doesn’t like to be idle as busyness can be a downfall.
• She deserves honor for the work she does and attempts to do.
If you’re still worried that a submissive nature means that a woman is not equal to a man, consider the attitude of Jesus. He was God but gave up his divine privileges to become a human being. As a man, he humbled himself in obedience to God. Moreover, he died a criminal’s death on the cross to become a sacrifice for all mankind’s sin, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5 says, In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.“ There is power in submission and obedience. God’s power shines through us as we all humble ourselves.
You don’t have to look very far to find a description of the Ideal Woman. God made them beautiful so that we might take pleasure in their beauty. But as with everything else we must control ourselves. Ladies, He designed and created you, and He knows what will satisfy you and bring fulfilment to your life. You would be wise, if you acquaint yourself with this lady He created and make her your role model. And keep in mind that Proverbs 31 wasn’t written to place unrealistic expectations on your life. It was written to build you up and show you your God-given potential. This isn’t to say that you’ll never fulfill your role in life if you are single. The Bible teaches that marriage is an honorable relationship between a man and a woman, but the Bible also places great honor on being single. So don’t ever let anyone make you feel like a second-class person just because you’re single. But if you are married, or you intend to be married, then please realize that God expects you to be a valuable wife and mother. 1 Corinthians 7:9 tells us, “But if they cannot contain, let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn.” Do you know what makes her such a valuable wife? She earns her husband’s respect by working with him instead of against him. What an example to follow! Husbands and wives, moms, and dads, work together as a team and don’t compete as opponents! You’re on the same team and you have the same goal, which is to build, provide for, and maintain a godly family! And ladies, you can be a valuable wife if you work with your husband to reach that goal! And you can be a valuable wife if you behave in a godly way as to set an example for your husband and children to strive for and achieve.
A husband and wife should have a goal to build, provide for, and maintain a godly family and they should work hard to reach that goal. Parents shouldn’t be lazy, especially when it comes to their family. The Ideal Woman of Proverbs 31 isn’t lazy. She works hard at home. They say that a woman’s work is never done and that’s especially true of a woman’s work at home. Do you know what the most demanding job in the world is? Being a mother and a wife. Think about it. A mother has to be a nurse, a teacher, a child psychologist, a dietician, a housekeeper, a cook, and so much more. It takes hard work to build and maintain a family! So, ladies, don’t get lazy when it comes to your home. And husbands, don’t be lazy either. Appreciate the hard work your wife does at home and give her a helping hand! Also, dish-pan hands are a small price to pay for keeping your wife happy. Men themselves would be wise to remember that wives won’t start an argument when he is cleaning.
It may shock you to realize that the Bible does not condemn a woman who works outside the home. Women who work should be commended, not condemned. Ladies, if you don’t have to work outside the home, then take advantage of it and focus on ministering to your husband and raising your children. But if you must find employment outside the home then don’t feel like a bad wife or a bad mother. You are being a good wife and a good mother because you’re helping provide for your family! She even works hard when she shops. That’s commendable! She knows the value of a dollar and she doesn’t squander the family livelihood.
Husbands, teenagers, and children, do you know why we ought to praise the godly women in our lives? Because it feels good. It feels good to be positive and to say positive things about the people in our lives. Leviticus 19:3, “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father.”
Who were the most influential mothers of the Bible?
• Sarah: The mother who waited.
• Hagar: The mother who endured.
• Rebekah: The mother who believed.
• Leah and Rachel: The mothers who had to share.
• Jochebed: The mother with a plan.
• Samson’s Mother: The mother who followed the rules.
• Naomi: The mother-in-law who shared her faith.
• Hannah: The mother who kept her promise.
• Elizabeth: The mother who believed in miracles.
• Mary: The mother who is blessed among women.
Throughout the Bible, we read about these and other Godly mothers who raised their children to love, honor, and serve God. Mothers like Jochebed, Elizabeth, and Mary raised sons who ministered to and led God's people. Mothers in the Bible were committed, hardworking, and resourceful. They willingly did the work that was before them. A woman is one of the most beautiful creations of God. Showering her respect as a daughter, feeling her care in the form of a sister, and feeling her warmth in the form of a mother. Just recently I was dining in a restaurant and sitting at a table next to mine was a single woman dining with a married friend of hers. The married woman asked the other what she was looking for in a man. The single woman said she wants a man who is loyal, faithful, patient, attentive, forgiving, unselfish, even-tempered, good-looking and a good listener. Her married friend thought about that for a moment, then responded, “Girl, you don’t want a man, you want a dog.”
All jokes aside, everything I’ve spoken about today is true about a woman, all women. Mothers are a gift to all humanity because they show us what God is like. In a loving wife and/or mother, we see Christ, who longs to gather his people like a mother hen would gather her chicks under her wings. My mother is one of my greatest heroes, and I am the fruit of her labors and love. She was first and foremost, a godly woman. I can’t think of a better woman to use as an example for this message than her. What would you say about your own mother? Lastly, open your hearts and let them in as an example of how you can become a better woman or man, and closer to God. And that is what I pray for us all. Amen
