What if….?

What if the way you thought life was supposed to work turned out to be very different? 

For Women: What if you really were meant to be a “guide”?  What if your very name and design by God meant you were the protector, guardian and boundary setter?  What if your domain were much more than solely the household and/or children?  What if your authority in dominion were to steward relationship and the earth alongside men jointly for God’s image to be rightly and fully revealed and to faithfully bring His glory to the earth?   Just what if God had a plan for you to be so much more than the culture would lead you to believe women are made for? 

For Men:  What if you were meant to remember what God had said?  What if you were meant to steward the earth synergistically together with women?  What if you could only fulfill your true role of stewardship on the earth within relationship alongside your co-regent - woman? 

Would you be brave enough to look differently at your life? Could you step outside your pre-conceived notions, comfort zone, and fleshly preferences to grow and live into amazing things God has for you?  Would you make choices to live into who you are designed to be in unity and honoring those around you?  Would you stand up and be counted as one who says – “YES” to God’s calling on your life, even in the face of potential challenge and controversy?

I’ve been dialoging with God about these questions.  I’ve had some tough tough choices in front of me.  I am (as I’ve mentioned previously) not a feminist – which I believe is just as degrading and wrong minded as the male counter part (male chauvinist). But, I do not embrace the notions that women are: helpless, weak, “arm candy”, only meant to operate in the household and/or with children, are to default “kowtow” to men.  I also do not embrace that men are the sole leaders, decision makers and authority in the church or culture.  I don’t believe men are to “isolate” in their roles.  I may offend many people with my notions that women are meant to partner side by side in equal authority with men in the culture and in marriage and that we MUST bring our gifts to the table together in the church for God’s glory on the earth.

I’ve watched as some families of faith are embracing these roles for men and women and it’s been astounding to see how God has flowed through it to bless and bring amazing things to the earth from it.  There are other families of faith who find this is quite a stretch.  Some are trying their best to embrace what they can.  I believe God is walking beside them and I pray they hear His heart.

It would be easy to back away from the uncomfortable and highly charged topic of gender roles in culture and the church.  But, God just seems to keep bringing the topic back around.  I sometimes wish I were not the one He’s tapping to talk about it, but if He wants to engage in it – I want to go His way and not mine.   So, like gold medal winners Misty and Kerri – when things look tough and maybe even unlikely, I’m just going to – breathe, believe and battle (in love).  It’s really just too important.