21 Day W.O.R.D. Challenge – Day 13 by Earma Brown, Author WOW Women Series
My prayer, “Why am I here, Lord?” resulted in God revealing the general mission for His creation woman. Yes, God has a general purpose for His woman. He has given woman the physical makeup, innate abilities and talents that are designed to aid her in fulfilling her purpose.
Even so, before we can paint a beautiful picture of woman’s general mission from God we must tear away the ill-painted graffiti (myths) of the enemy’s lies. We will replace this canvas of wrong thinking with a clean canvas and mount of right thinking that is biblically sound. Some of those age-old myths are:
- Women are created subordinate beings to every man. According to the Genesis writer, “Man” is a term for the whole human race. 2 The Hebrew word translated man is ‘Adam.’ This term is also the name of the first man. In most cases we should view ‘Adam as “mankind,” “human beings,” or “humankind.” Both male and female are included in man. When God said, “Let Us make man,” He was not speaking of male human beings, but of both men and women. Male and female are equally, and alike, man or mankind.
- Women were generally created frivolous (of little value; trivial) and air-headed. The writer of Genesis took some effort in sharing that men and women share the same essential identity.3 Both genders were created in the image and likeness of God. Take a look at the phraseology of Genesis 1:27:
o God created man (‘Adam) in His own image
o Male and female
o He created them
Only human beings, male and female have been given the gift of personhood. They share the ability as their Creator God to think, plan, remember, appreciate beauty, establish priorities, distinguish right from wrong, make decisions and carry them out, and so on.
- Women are forever cursed from the fall, destined to be weak and inferior to men because of Eve’s sin. Some have said, “Well, maybe woman was created equal but she was cursed to be inferior because of her sin. Always the righteous and fair judge, God addressed each of them separately for their part in the fall. To the snake and the fallen angel (Satan) who had spoken through him, He said: “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals…” To Adam and Eve, he separately explained the consequences of their sin upon them and those that would come after them. As a result of the fall, women continue to struggle with childbirth pains and the urge to please man rather than God. For both Adam and Eve not only represented themselves but all mankind.4
Now that we have biblically wiped away the cobwebs of dishonor associated with our roles as helpers, influencers and mothers, let’s hear the good news. We as Christians are a people who have been redeemed and restored in Christ. We shouldn’t accept these distorted ideas and patterns of thinking as normal.
We are called to renew our minds to the will and heart of God. We should reflect and affirm in woman God’s original plan. All men and women were created equal in God’s image. In Christ we can rediscover the partnership of the genders that God intended.
Have you heard someone say about an especially beautiful and confident woman, “She thinks she’s special? She thinks she’s God’s gift to earth?” Well, the truth she has tapped into is: She is special and so are you if you are woman. Woman is God’s gift to mankind.
Not in the prideful and conceited sense that some use this phrase but in the wonderful sense that she came from the heart of God. In the origins of creation, we discovered Adam asleep while God took a rib from him and fashioned another human being with the same basic rights and privileges.
Male and female, He created them in the image and likeness of Himself. Adam and Eve, He gave the ability to think, plan, feel, touch and choose as people not as animals. The first man was made from the dirt and the first woman was fashioned from his rib and presented to him.
Taking poetic license, when God said it is not good that man should be alone he could have formed a duplicate person with minor variations. God being sovereign and all knowing formed a complement to Adam not a
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Earma Brown, twelve book Christian author and founder of WOW! Women Global inspires women around the world to become women of destiny, purpose, and victory through speaking engagements, her books, Bible curriculum and studies. She is author of the trilogy of Wow! Women books: Women of Worth, Women of Destiny and Women of Legacy, the Armorbearer Training Series, Prayer Fulfilled Life book set and Writing A Book God’s Way book and course. She currently lives in Arkansas.