Restoring Femininity

Restoring Femininity

Developing a Christian/Biblical World-View

“Restoring Christian Femininity”

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:18

Introduction

-Holding a Christian/Biblical World-View concerning femininity is very unpopular in our modern day culture.

-We hear the politicians and political pundits pontificate about women’s rights, equal pay for equal work, women registering for the draft and going into combat, and have women seeking and holding the highest offices.

-Isaiah 3:12 “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.”

-Sadly this has effected the Evangelical Christian culture as well.

-Femininity has been replaced by feminism.

-Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines feminine as, soft, tender, delicate, and femininity as the quality or nature of the female sex.

-Elisabeth Elliot wrote in The Gift of Femininity “The word femininity is one that we don’t hear very often anymore. We’ve heard the word feminist quite often in the last couple of decades, but we haven’t really heard much about the deep mystery that is called femininity. The word has fallen on hard times, partly because of stereotypes as opposed to archetypes…To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained, but she is gentle. She is gracious. She is godly and she is giving. You and I, if we are women, have the gift of femininity. Very often it is obscured, just as the image of God is obscured in all of us…I would remind you that femininity is not a curse. It is not even a triviality. It is a gift, a divine gift, to be accepted with both hands, and to thank God for. Because remember, it was His idea.”

-Femininity’s downward spiral stated during WWII with Rosie the Riveter, and really picked up speed in the 1960’s with the release of “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan. Then in the 1970’s Gloria Steinem took these teachings to middle-class mothers. Eventually the feminine agenda infiltrated Evangelical Christianity. Many Christian women have submitted to feminism and abandoned the biblical view of womanhood. They have fallen for the same lie Satan told Eve in the Garden.

-For the woman who desires to embrace her Christian femininity she must begin with these 2 presuppositions:

  1. God created her in His own image (Genesis 1:27)
  2. God designed her to fulfill a specific role (Genesis 2:18)

-Remember, Christianity has elevated women to their God given place.

-How do we reclaim Christian Femininity? Text: Proverbs 31:10-31

  1. By being virtuous: verse 10
  2. Virtuous: moral strength, good quality, integrity
  3. She understands what modesty means (I Timothy 2:9)
  4. By being trustworthy: verses 11-12, 23
  5. Trustworthiness is the elevation of those closest to her.
  6. She is understanding, encouraging, and sympathetic.
  • By being energetic: verse 13-16, 18, 24, 27
  1. She is efficient, and an example
  2. She runs a well-managed household, supervisor.
  3. She ministers and is a role-model

By being physically fit: verse 17

  1. She is healthy in mind and body
  2. She knows and understands her limits

By being economical: verse 18

  1. Budget, bargains, quality
  2. By being unselfish: verses 19-20
  3. Wise is the woman who lives by the principle that if she is not satisfied with what she has, she will never be satisfied with what she wants.
  4. She puts the needs of others before herself
  • By being prepared: verses 21-22, 27
  1. Planning, foresight, prepared for the unexpected, provisions
  2. The prepared woman will refuse to allow the urgent to take the place of the important in her life.
  • By being honorable: verse 25
  1. Having integrity
  2. This is evidenced by other’s high regard and respect for her
  3. She has a good reputation
  4. By being prudent: verse 26
  5. Her speech exhibits good judgement, compassion, truthfulness, gentleness and discretion
  6. By being loving: verses 28-29
  7. Because of her benevolence, she is loved
  8. By fearing God: verse 30
  9. She will stand in awe of God and venerate, worship, and love her Lord with all her heart
  10. She will hunger and thirst after Him

Application

The Reward

Verse 31

-The woman who accepts her femininity as a gift from God.

-The woman who joyfully submits her life and will to the role God has given her (married, single, or widowed).

-This woman will not have to brag about herself, but she will be praised by those who know her best.

-The woman who accepts her femininity as a gift from God will be rewarded in this life, and will certainly be rewarded in the life to come.

-Dear friends, we must restore Christian femininity in our homes, in our church, and in our country.

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