Women...Honestly?

Yes, two posts in one day, but my other post had nothing to do with this and I didn't feel like these were two topics to connect in one post...

Tonight I had heard a comment that made me slightly ticked. 

A young couple had been together for some time now, but the women had told her boyfriend, "If we aren't engaged by this time, I am going to break up with you." 

Ladies...since when did we feel it was a good idea to take such a stand against our men?  When was it OUR call?  To me, I felt "okay, if she's flinging this around, what's to say she won't fling divorce papers later?"  Doesn't sound like true love to me...because doesn't the Bible say "love is patient...love is kind?"  

1) If you loved your boyfriend, you'd wait as long as it took and would be content in that. 
2) When do we have that authority? 

It's hard to take this stand in a society where women are being so empowering.  We want to rise up and take charge and show the men around that we can do everything they can do too.  But the reality of this ladies is our men are being intimidated and actually stepping down from their roles because of us.  I am not saying we aren't better...I'm saying we need to back off. 

Eve took a stand and told Adam what to do.  Adam was intimidated, and obeyed her.  Outcome?  Sin was born. 

Sarai (Sarah) took a stand with Abram (Abraham) and told him to sleep with her maidservant Hagar.  She was promised a child, but saw no answer fast enough to satisfy her...so she took matters into her own hands.  Abram stepped down and obeyed her...Hagar was born a son, but abuse and rejection followed that because of Sarai's hasty and authoritative decision. 

Rachel had a moment where Jacob's other wife, Leah, was bearing children while Rachel remained barren.  In her frustration, she approaches Jacob and says, "Give me children, or I'll die!"  Now finally I see a man stepping back up and rebuking saying, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"    It wasn't until later when it reads in Genesis 30:22 "Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb." 

Lot's wife was so consumed with her luxuries that she turned to a pile of salt because she couldn't obey and listen to the men around her. 

In Judges we see Deborah and Barak.  Deborah asks Barak to lead the army to victory, but Barak was intimidated and would not do it alone.  Because of this, the victory would rest in the hands of a woman.  Guys, yes we can be intimidating at times...and we may be called to roles like Deborah had, but what she did was noble.  She gave a man the opportunity to lead.  Ladies, are we quick to provide this encouragement and opportunity for the men, or do we just do it ourselves because we are able to? 


For examples of women who had it right, read about:
Ruth
Esther (7:1-6)
Abigail (I Samuel 25)
The Virtuous Wife (Proverbs 31:10-31)

Ladies, we have so much worth to us.  I am not saying we aren't good enough...for we were created because "it is not good for man to be alone."  We are needed by the men around us, and they are needed by us.  It is not our place to take authority from them, for we see what happens when we do. 

We are instructed numerous times through Paul to submit to our husbands.  Let's begin to practice that today.  Join me ladies in encouraging our men to stand back up and lead while we support and encourage them with all the love we can.