Shortly after Sarah Palin was introduced as John McCain’s running mate, the questions began. Such as, would she put family ahead of country when one of her kids got sick? Was she forsaking her role as a wife and mother? Was she qualified to actually be the President? On and on.Our world is full of gender confusion. The lines are blurry and becoming more so each year. The next generation of believers is already living in a world of gender neutralization like we have never seen before. They receive mixed messages daily of what true masculinity or femininity is. Our culture encourages homogenization of men and women into one unisex (except when it comes to images—a separate discussion), to idolize living examples of dominant women and emasculated men, and to accept and experiment with homosexuality and other variations of sexuality.
More than ever, as believers we need to know what we believe about gender roles and why, and properly align our actions with that belief. Only when operating within our God-given designs will the body of Christ, as families and as individuals, bring most glory to God.
All believers, male and female, have gifts from God that are designed to be used for His glory in different ways and in different settings. My prayer for the body of Christ locally and at large is to scripturally redeem those differences, not artificially block their usage by following traditions of man, or recklessly abandon all differences by the experimentation of culture. Ideally, no gifts should go unused, no talents wasted, no spiritual growth stunted, and no believers discouraged over misinterpretations of scriptures concerning the heart of masculinity and femininity.
We need to get it right--men as men, and women as women. Living out God's blueprint will bring us all the most satisfaction.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
~ Genesis 1:27
