I recently had a conversation with a lady who all her life has been told by her church that her husband’s role is the only important one, and her job is to support him.
After centuries of being taught that men lead, women follow, many women are content to be passive, waiting for someone else to take a lead.
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God is giving women all over the world permission to take the initiative, to escape from their theological cages to follow where he’s leading them, and men are championing their efforts.
When will this happen here in the USA? Where are the women who will act as role models? Where are the men who will encourage and support them? What might happen when men and women co-labor together for the sake of the Kingdom. Could we see a generation emerge that has never been hindered by gender constraints?
9 replies on “Men lead, women follow?”
Wouldn’t that be great!!!
when we move out of power-sick institutions
I agree that that is part of the problem. I think another part though is that we live in cages of our own minds, boundaries that years of conditioning have created. Harriet Beecher Stowe once said, “I would have freed a thousand more (slaves) if only they knew they were slaves.
True. As women, How do you think we best approach this subject with other godly women, who are still very much “stuck” along these lines?
“Where are the men who will encourage and support them?”
I think there is your key right there. This is all an identity issue. Traditionally, men are more apt to try and find their identity in power and position; filling their emotional need for respect through power trips instead of sacrifice.
When you’re on a power trip, you don’t exercise bottom-up leadership that encourage and supports individuals into their unique leadership roles. Sub-consciously, you want to keep them at a certain level so they are not a threat to your unhealthy emotional needs. If men were better trained to become fully-developed Christians, there would be a trickle-up effect that would empower the women as well.
Michael, that’s an incredibly insightful comment–and isn’t limited to just men. The book I’m compiling has male as well as female authors because we think we need both genders to speak into this. Often men will only listen to other men, and some women need permission from men to take the initiative.
“Where are the men who will encourage and support them?”
I think there is your key right there. This is all an identity issue. Traditionally, men are more apt to try and find their identity in power and position; filling their emotional need for respect through power trips instead of sacrifice.
When you’re on a power trip, you don’t exercise bottom-up leadership that encourage and supports individuals into their unique leadership roles. Sub-consciously, you want to keep them at a certain level so they are not a threat to your unhealthy emotional needs. If men were better trained to become fully-developed Christians, there would be a trickle-up effect that would empower the women as well.
Well personally when I put the bible down and just listen to god speaking to me from within I got liberated from the biblical idea of suppression of woman.
I love the way God speaks to you so clearly and so practically, Kenneth.