Wrestling - Men and Women are Equal

via TJC

“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

As the working body of Christ, we believe that Men and Women are created equal. This is a topic that our culture wrestles with on a regular basis. It really comes down to one question: what do you mean by equal?

We see in Genesis, in the very beginning, both men and women were created in His image. His image is perfect. His image can only mean one thing. If we are both created in His image, how can we be valued differently? And if not, why is this so contentious today?

When I think of this topic, I think first about my wife and I. Of course, that’s the most personal version of man and woman existing together. Just tonight, we had a very real, and I imagine common, occurrence. We now have 3 kids, 6 years, 3 years, & 5 weeks old. While I got the two older ones to bed, she went to nurse and put the baby to bed. My task went quickly, hers did not. So I came out, cleaned the kitchen from dinner, did a few loads of laundry, and straightened the living room. Tomorrow I will wake up before they all awake to head to work. She will wake up, dealing with all 3 kids, getting them fed and ready for school, likely while dealing with a screaming baby. While at work, I’m currently navigating a pending promotion, balancing work politics and personal aspirations, with the goal of a happier work day, more money, and a better daily schedule. Hopefully I can get home earlier to help my wife in the evenings and have better opportunities for my kids.

So comes my question…what’s equal? Who’s tasks are more important? They are certainly different. You probably see skill sets written in there that one of us has that the other doesn’t. I can one hundred percent guarantee that she is way better at getting our 5 week old settled, and I certainly cannot help in the nursing department. When did we all of a sudden decide these abilities are inferior?! I think she is absolutely amazing for the things she is able to do. Do we have an equal outcome? No. Is that unfair in God’s eyes? Absolutely not. Why? Because He values both of the inherent skill sets that He created in us. Men and women in many areas cannot do the same things. We were created in His complex, perfect, masterful image, to work together for His kingdom.

The conflict comes when we try to squeeze God’s design into our culture. It’s a futile task. The issue IS our culture. We wrestle back and forth, who’s tasks are more glamorous, or more valued today? He doesn’t care. He cares about equal opportunity. Opportunity for what? To follow Him and HIS path. To expand His kingdom. To serve Him. Everything you just read about our evening are examples of things we each do to show appreciation and love for the things that God has blessed us with. It’s how we each serve Him, our family, and each other.

The reason we have so much contention is because many areas of our culture have completely forgotten where true value lies. Whether we like it or not, God gave us completely different skills and abilities, but we should love this fact, because it gives each of us our unique but equal opportunity to follow Him.

Daily Battle Order:

God designed men and women in His image. His image is complex and wonderful - and it doesn’t fit into the simplistic box that is our culture. Woven into the fabric of our souls are the wonderfully unique characteristics that create an equal amount of opportunity to follow Him and His path. It comes down to goals. Is your goal to find superficial success in today’s culture, or to find true happiness in His image? I can tell you one thing for sure, these two rarely mean the same outcome. Watch all the people we see daily on our social media, news, and other outlets. Which one do they look like they chose? Your battle order today is this: Choose. Stop wasting your God-given abilities daily on what today’s culture says you should have or be.