I recently came across an article that had been shared on my Facebook timeline several times. Right off the bat, I knew the article was not speaking truth, as the title was, "I'm A Christian Girl And I'm Not A Feminist, Because God Did Not Intend For Women To Be Equals".

Initially, I was taken aback. I genuinely believe that the article was written with the best of intentions and that the author genuinely believed that what she was sharing was truth. However, it was not. Even though she referenced scripture, her evidence was taken out of context. Here's why I disagree with her:

God designed male and female differently, but equally. We see so clearly in scripture that man and woman are, as my good friend and mentor says, different in design but equal in value. How do I know?

Let's start with Genesis 1:27, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female he created them." Here, we see that our value, the very thing that makes us equal, comes from our Creator! Design is NOT indicative of value.

Why, then, did He create us differently? What about 1 Timothy 2:12? Or Ephesians 5:22-23?

The answer is simple, God has created us women differently because He saw a need for it. There is purpose in His design of women. The thing about men and women is that, by themselves, they don't fully reflect the image of God. But together, they fulfil God's design and reflect the creator.

The article I referenced above uses the very word "counterpart" to describe what men are to women. Do you know the definition of counterpart? A counterpart is a "person or thing performing a function that corresponds to that of another person." In scripture, we see women playing massive roles to fulfil God's ultimate plan. Through sin entering the world, our womanhood has been twisted. Culture tells us lies about what it means to be a woman.

In 2 Timothy 2:13, Paul reaches way back and references Genesis. God's design from the very beginning was to create man, with leadership responsibility, and then woman, to support and serve. This was God's design for creation. However, Satan distorts this design; Satan subverted the design of God in his approach of Eve, rather than Adam. The woman ate the fruit first and sin entered the world through her; yet, the Savior also entered the world through her. Again, we see: different in design, but equal in value.

David Platt says this in his sermon "What about Women, Paul?", "With submission to elders, women are free to lead in a variety of different positions. Women are intended by God to thrive in ministry across the church. You look throughout the New Testament, and you see women prophesying, praying, helping, serving, equipping, teaching, and spreading the gospel. One writer said, 'The fields of opportunity are endless for the entire church to be mobilized in ministry, male and female.' Nobody is to be at home watching soaps and reruns while the world burns."

Anyway, you get the idea. I don't write this to bash anyone. Rather, to urge you, sisters, not to take in everything you read on the internet as truth. I beg you to find your truth only in the bible. Beware of false teachings, as they are everywhere. Trust nothing you read until it lines up with scripture. When reading passages in scripture, particularly about women, one MUST look at the context of the writing.

Again, I believe that the author of that article meant well. However, I am deeply concerned for every women (or man) who read that article and walked away thinking that God's favorite parts of creation were not equal. There is significance in how God has created you. You are a Woman of God; you are given a unique opportunity for His glory to be made known through you in a way that is distinct from his glory being made known through man. Both ways are beautiful and wonderful and significant. As David Platt says "when we minimize what it means to be a man or woman in the image of God, we undercut what it means to work out our salvation, what it means to be sanctified as men and women of God." Both women and men are saved through the death of Christ. Christ has conquered sin and in him, we can be the men and women God created us to be.

I could go on and on but the reality is, the longer this is, the less likely someone is to read it. If you still have questions, send me a message and I'd love to chat about it!