I received this in my inbox this morning and just loved it! Of course, it also hit me over the head.....but we won't mention that part.
At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman's differing relationships.
-What’s The Difference? by John Piper
I have read this quote again and again and still have not been able to fully understand what Piper was trying to convey. What does he mean by 'mature femininity frees a woman to nurture strength from a worthy man'? I really hit a wall when I tried to unpack this so I asked one of the women on our staff if she could help. Here’s what she wrote:
I think it means that it is freeing for a woman to support the strength and leadership of men rather than taking on the leadership role herself because it allows her to participate in the goal in an essential way, yet without the burden of final responsibility that I think God made only men to carry. This role is carried out in different ways, according to the relationship the woman is in: a wife, daughter, sister, or secretary all are different positions where a woman can serve and support the leadership of the man in that relationship, in the ways most appropriate to her position.
I have experienced that in my own work: when I am in a position of too much leadership, it is a burden that hangs heavily on me because I'm a supporter, not a leader. But when I am in a supporting role, although it may be more limiting in some ways since I have to follow the leadership of whoever I’m working under, it is ultimately freeing because it takes away that burden of responsibility and enables me to focus on what I do best…nurturing the idea and bringing the details to life in a way that only I can do.
When we as ladies want to usurp these areas which God has designed more particularly for men, it takes away from our ability to affirm and nurture… it takes strength and wisdom to recognize our calling as women and to delight in it; this is ‘mature femininity’. But if we can delight in it, we’ll complement the leadership of men in such a way as to enhance our own calling to the fullest.
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Making ready a people prepared for the Lord,
Mark Hamby
What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree? Have you read John Pipers book? If you haven't, I highly recomend it!
~Rebecca
*SO* excited! Mark Hamby is coming to this years CAPE convention!
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3 comments:
Those were some really good thoughts... I hadn't thought about it, but its true. I feel so much better when I am in a 'supporting' role, so to speak, than when I am leading. =) And, who doesn't like being treated like a lady? lol!
Love you!!!
I think women have more of a tendency to be control freaks and acknowledging/supporting leadership perhaps combats that. I know that letting go, even of little things, is tough for me - probably a sign that I shouldn't be in control most of the time!
And I know that the appreciation of the differences in male/female roles certainly manifests differently in different relationships, but the healthiest are those in which the female is not the boss. You know that on ranches women bosses almost always have bad reputations....?
Sooooo very true. For some women this will not be a challenge, no matter what kind of leader the man is. For some gals, it is a challenge to step back and wait for a man to lead. It is not easy, but scripture never tells us to do it if it's easy. I also think that in our society, we equate following with weaker, when I think a strong follower can help a leader out so much.....as long as she remains in the follower position. We are still daughters of Eve, but we can strive to be daughters of Sarah (think about it)....
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