If I am to reclaim my life and find joy in the everyday, I want to live unbounded by feminist fear.
The feminists chief argument is this: If we don't stake our claim to equality, demanding it even, we may be abused, taken advantage of and/or treated like property. The reasoning goes like this: we need feminism to protect women and to ensure they are treated with dignity, respect and equal rights.
The thing is, I don't need to take claim to the name "feminist" to care about women, and people in general. We are commanded as Christians (not feminists) to love one another as ourselves (sin perverts this command, not "men").
I realize there are different types of feminism, 1st wave, 2nd wave, radical, etc. I also understand why Christian women would naturally gravitate towards certain "whitewashed" notions of feminism, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries. That is a whole other discussion that deserves to be unpacked more fully, but today's post is not the place.
My heart's desire is that we as women would be loosed of fear and instead live under the authority of a God who gave His life for us, the ultimate violators in disrespect, injustice, and abuse. If anyone understands women, it is Jesus, who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (Philippians 2:6,7). He submitted to the Father...to the point of death. Why? That we would know Him. Life is worth so much more then the experience we have on earth. We get so stuck in the here and now that we give up on the eternal.
Do you trust God?
If we trust Him, then we can trust that what He commands is good and worthy...and for His glory (not ours). If you have a hard time accepting His commands with respect to submission, authority, gender roles and servant hood (which I think will need to be outlined in another post) then I would say your issue isn't with equality, feminism, or patriarchy; your issue is probably with God.
Truly, there is so much more to say, but I think if I try and squeeze it all in today's post, I will not do justice to the validity of certain complaints, questions, and comments. Again, this topic cannot be brushed aside with only platitudes and generalities. Suffice to say, I want to reclaim my life without reclaiming my life. I am reclaiming my life (and challenging you in hope) to reclaim yours for the glory of God and the sincere joy that can only be imparted in obedience.
I don't want the protection of feminism...I want the protection of God. Now that's living in freedom.
(Steering clear of feminist fear works for me!)
More tomorrow...join me over coffee and more of this series by clicking here!
33 comments:
WOW!! Awesome post, I totally agree!! Thank you so much for this post!
Ok I am inspired! Great post!
Fantastic post!
You have a habit of posting on just the thing I've been thinking about!
Thanks so much for your thoughts - they're really inspiring!
From, Charli
Very well put. I especially agree that if people have a problem with God's commands, they have an issue with God. In fact, I believe this is even stated in the Bible. Whoever rejects God's commandments, is not of God. John 8:47 Ouch...I do NOT want to fall into this category.
I agree with you. In my marriage, in my relationship to God I don't think about "fighting for my rights". It's just not an issue. But when I look at larger society, I can see that women have had to fight for rights. Women (and therefore children) have had to struggle through the way our society has been set up. We've come a long way in this country (not all of it good).
Wow-I am intriqued! I've never heard feminism approached in such a way! Thanks for featuring your thoughts!
Wow! I have never stopped to think about these things, but I totally and completely agree. As a young Christian wife and mom finishing her college degree, I see this mindset all the time on campus. Not that I feel like I was ever influenced by them or anything, but this has absolutely inspired me:)
Anyway, thanks for the great posts! I've been reading for a week or two, and I am HOOKED!! :)
amen... it's me and God.
And what an important thing to teach our young children, even boys, about trusting in God and His word! I was just trying to explain to my oldest son, who can be defensive at times, that GOD is our defender. We need not try so hard with earthly might to render ourselves right in the eyes of man. It is meaningless. Even in those times when we, as wives/mothers/women feel oppressed, we can rest in the assurance that God knows the ache in our souls. He KNOWS our true selves. He has made us beautiful, and it is to Him we should look if we want to find significance.
I would like to hear more about this. Honestly, it's a whole new concept for me. My mom (who divorced my dad) constantly preached about the importance of being a strong, independent woman who never relies on or needs a man (even when married).
Your posts on this topic speak to me more than all that stuff I was raised with. I really want to learn more. Thanks!
Great post. There is freedom in submission to God, and to His will for our lives.
I wish radical feminism hadn't so deeply corrupted what was initially a meaningful and necessary movement.
After completing the seven days in feminine dresses. The Holy Spirit really started a work in me. I took pictures of my seven days and was so surprized how soft and elegant I looked and felt. This has inspired me to allow those changes to create in me a new understanding of femininity and modesty. I wrote about my experince as well in a seperate because I was so moved by what I felt. Good work on calling this to our attention.
I've always asked the militant feminists in my life why they are so set on making SAHMs feel so bad about their choice to stay home. Is it guilt about their choice to not stay at home? Because a true feminist understands that women have the freedom to make choices. And those choices will be different for each woman.
WOOHOO Preach it Sister!!! This is so where I am - all of the idealogies and habits in my life aren't about independence from men at all - they're about self-reliance and unwillingness to trust God and lay it all down at His feet.
And FOLLOW HIS VOICE. And YIELD TO HIM. This is it - right here. Kicking my posterior and making me sing!!!
I LOVE this post. I am totally a recovering feminist. I have been married for 7.5 years and still have yet to take my husbands last name, but I plan to change that this summer.
You are SO right. It's really about trust, and whether or not we trust GOD, His word, and His commands. For me it has always been about trust, and trying to protect myself from getting hurt. But I am definitely moving more towards putting my trust in HIM in everything.
Well said. I often hear about "finding a balance" with feminism - taking it only so far. But I do believe in an all or nothing approach - submitting myself entirely to God's will without trying to "protect my rights." Now if only my life would fully reflect my beliefs!
thanks for the great post.
don't you have an anniversary coming up soon? :)
allie
Wow! Thank you so much for this post! It is so neat how you can be thinking something and then go and read a post on the exact same thing you were thinking about! God is good :) Thanks for the encouragement :)
This series soothes my heart.
At university we were bombarded with notions of femminism, gender equality and the such. Deep down I alwyas felt that this was not a good thing.
Love. This. Post.
Check out this post I wrote on feminism vs femininity
http://christinnjon.wordpress.com/2008/11/29/548/
That last comment on that post is by a feminist who came from a feminist site.
Love this post! Especially SIN perverting Scriptural intent - not men. Great point. I have said that were I choosing a religion based on it's sacred writings' views on women I would be left with only two choices - Christianity & Wicca. Clearly I am not espousing Wicca but of all the major world religions they are the only two with a foundational premise that values women. Christianity being the ONLY religion that values women as equal, though different, than men. Which is why I am always completely befuddled by "feminists" who hate Christianity. Only in the Bible do we find a Divine Being who purposefully uses women and men and is delighted by both.
I am also trying to overcome feminist attitudes and become more feminine. It's not an easy battle. The social pressures for the past 40 or 45 years have been totally against every natural instinct of women. Homemaking and raising children and being a wife are nearly valueless today. It seems the only measure of a person today is their paycheck. I hope, for all our sakes, that attitudes change.
I'm really struck by your comments about reclaiming our lives. Or the idea that women are looking for ways to reclaim their lives. If our desire, as women, is to reclaim something that is lost or missing the real search is not a reclamation of life, it is a search for death.
True freedom from judgment (which is another word for inequality, right?) happens when we accept the call to die. Death to self, life in Him. A tall order to be certain. So tall I think it is easier for some people to simply engage in the platitudes and 'group think' that you discussed. Good post!
Great Post as always, looking forward for more..
zcouple.com
Nicole,
As far as "Reclaiming Your Life" is concerned, we are in agreement, see here: http://likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/2009/05/reclaim-your-lifeby-losing-it.html
As far as "True freedom from judgment (which is another word for inequality, right?)" I really don't know what you mean. Do you mean that if I judge someone and am saying I am better than them I am saying we aren't equal? Kind of confused!
Thank you for your thoughts! :)
I love posts like this one!!! I know that God blesses those that follow his commands, and it's just so great to read posts like this.
Julianne :)
Wow, I had never looked at it as a trust issue with God. So far, this series is very thought provoking! :) I can't wait to read more!
If feminists used their energy to fight for difference and not equality, women's lives would be much better.
Praise the good Lord, I never was a feminist, I'm feminine.
Alfazema
Great post Sarah Mae!! You have said it all so well and I fully agree. I am also loving reading all the comments!
Sarah, I'm sorry I'm late, but I am trying to catch up so you will be getting sporadic comments from me.
Ok, so, "(sin perverts this command, not "men")", I totally agree and I am ready to reclaim my life with you.
Thanks for the challenge!
smooches,
Larie
SarahMae-
You are SO SO SO SO SO on-track and Rock (biblically) - Solid!
http://visionarydaughters.com/
http://www.beautyfromtheheart.org/index.html
http://www.solofemininity.blogs.com/
http://deuteronomy6five-nine.blogspot.com/
http://girltalk.blogs.com/
These are some incredibly encouraging sites (blogs) for women to get some like-minded, Biblical womenhood encouragement! they are written for God's glory. (a truly refreshment)
gratefully,
HveHope (Jackie)
Hey Sarah - GREAT post! Thanks for sharing these things.
Here is a post I wrote a while back that goes along with your series here:
http://yoursacredcalling.blogspot.com/2008/08/real-womens-liberation-movement.html
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