Do Women Need Protectors?
" I need a protector..." Perhaps you could share with us feminists what exactly you think you need protecting from. Whenever you write about needing protection I'm sure there are others who are just as confused about your meaning. Protection from a criminal? A bullet will hurt a man the same as a woman. Protection from a natural disaster? Fire, water, and wind will harm both male and female alike. Protection from immorality? Men don’t have moral superiority to women. So what do you need protection from? Maybe you could do an entire post on it. To me it makes no sense, almost like it is just something that sounds good so you write it. Sorry. -A
Nope, it doesn't just sound good so I write it. I mean it. :) God has set up my husband as my protective head. I didn't make this system up, God did.
Eph 5:23 - For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
I need protection in every area of my life. Not only is my husband to physically protect me from harm and danger as best as he can, he is also to spiritually protect me. Women need the protection of a man. We are the "weaker vessel."
1Pe 3:7 - Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
1Pe 3:5 - For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
I believe with all my heart that I can trust God to work through my husband. My heart trusts in my husband. He is my leader, he wants to protect me from evil and from harm. I need his wisdom and his guidance and his leadership. He is ultimately responsible before God for his family.
Am I the only one who feels like I need a protector? If you feel like you need a protector (be that your father, your husband, or another authority should you not have either of those), please comment and tell us. Also, why do you need a protector? What do you, as a woman, need protection from.
posted by Crystal Paine at 3:52 PM
39 Comments:
I can tell you what I need protection from: myself & my emotions.
In virtually every marriage I know, it works like this - the wife tends to think more emotional & the husband is guided more by reason & common sense. I'm sure this isn't the case in every marriage, but it seems to be the rule, rather than the exception. My husband is able to "protect" me by calming me down when my circumstances make me overly emotional. He encourages me to stop and think through things, which allows me to put everything in perspective.
Ohh...my husband protects me in lots of ways! But here's just one:
My husband is the protector of my heart. He gently holds my heart and shows me the tender love I need, so I don't have to be out there "searching for love in all the wrong places" in a world where many people don't understand what true love is.
Sure...I do the same for him...but we all know that women are much more likely to crave love than men are, and to make a bunch of bad decisions to get it if it's missing. Most men are more apt to seek respect. That's why God tells husbands to love their wives, while He tells wives to respect their husbands.
When I think of my husband as my protector, the thing I'm most thankful for is his level-headedness. I'm sure most women can relate to feeling "out of control" when it comes to their emotions. Some people think "That's just the way I am" and "It's okay for me to feel this way." But many times we can hurt other people with our overly emotional responses; we make assumptions that are wrong and then act on them, we blow things out of proportion...we over-react, over-compensate and can just plain boil over. So, I'm thankful for my level-headed husband, the one who isn't going to make our family decisions based on a whim, but on logic. The one who helps me calm down and see things as they are (not as I'm imagining them to be).
I'm also thankful that I have my husband to protect me from nasty family conflict situations. For example, if there's a problem with how my daughter is being treated by her grandparents (too much sugary foods, too much TV, etc.) then I know my husband is there to deal with the messy things. Ah! My hero!
He also, as the spiritual leader of our home, helps me understand the Bible as a whole (not just the parts I want to like and listen to). Without him, I'd fall prey to all the things I thought were good and I'd ignore the things that sounded too hard or difficult to do. He balances me out in many ways.
He also is the one to get out of bed with his big Maglite and go check on those bumps in the night, fully ready to whack anyone over the head if need be. That's a little closer to the literal definition, but I'm glad that I'm not the one who has to do it!
He also has helped me to see how men can view a woman's dress. He's been my protector by helping me to pick out clothes that aren't going to draw men's attention to the wrong places. He's protecting me from other men, even when he's not around, protecting me from other men's imaginations and other men's attacks (scary thought!).
Those are just a few that come to mind. I'm sure there are more. My husband seems to be my protector in so many areas of my life that I'm sure there are some I'm less conscious of. But just thinking about all he does for me (and wants to do for me) makes me treasure him more.
Bottom line: this is how God made us to be, dependant upon our Creator and under the people He has placed over us. They are our servants to do us good, not harm! It's God's blessing and God's kindness to have a husband who is your protector. It's sweet and precious. It's the way things should have been before sin entered the world and turned everything upside-down and backwards. And when God redeems your marriage, it's a beautiful thing to experience life the way He intended for it to be. But when you don't know God, it's very hard to understand. For everyone who's struggling with this topic, I hope you meet someone in person who lives their life in this way--I'm sure you'll be amazed to see how beautifully it all works together. :)
YES!!
I know that I tend to be a little bit gullable and believe things too easily. I think the Bible talks about that being common for women(ie: 1Timothy 2:14 & 2Timothy 3:6). My husband gives me spirtual and emotional protection as well. For example during the times in our marriage when money was EXTREMELY tight he preferred to handle the bill paying duty. Not to control me (I carry the checkbook and have credit cards too), but to protect me from the stress of worry...wondering how we were going to pay everything.
Now, that doesn't mean that men don't need women because they do. That's the whole point, we need each other because we have different strengths and weaknesses. That's what's so wrong with feminism.....besides rebelling against God-ordained roles, it seeks to make us all the same which really weakens society as a whole.....God made men to have a NEED to be the protectors.
I think Esther is a good example of a strong woman, but she was strong in a feminine way. She didn't go in there and demand things, she fasted and prayed and made an appeal with a faith that took great courage.
I'm not sure this is an issue that a non-Christian can really understand. The bottom line is that God said it, so that makes it true.
Crystal,
You forgot that we often need protection from ourselves. =) I know that I, as a woman, tend to be carried away with my emotions much more easily than most men (including my husband). My husband helps to offset my emotional outbursts, if you will.
Now this is not to say that I can't control myself, or keep myself from being carried away. But my husband is a means that God uses to enable me to do this.
Hope this makes sense. It's been a long day. =)
Melanie B.
I obviously strongly disagree but I thank you for sharing your answer.
Hopefully some of your like minded readers can share some day-to-day examples of how they need protection. To me, it still seems not to make sense. I know plenty of young and older single gals out there doing just fine without male "protection". Did you know that more single women are able to buy houses than single men? USA Today just did an article on it. Also it seems that all statistics indicate that males abuse drugs/alcohol more than women. While women typically have less upper body strength, men can be “weaker” in areas too. Seems like you can and should “protect” each other
Ash, if God's Word says something, that doesn't mean we should use human reasoning to decide whether or not we want to follow it. It also doesn't mean that use current circumstances or something that might be seeming to work out okay to determine whether or not we follow it. If God's Word says something, as Christians, we should follow it. And it does work and it is always the best way. God set up our husbands and fathers as our protective heads because God knows better than us.
Crystal, I absolutely believe I need a protector. I thank God everyday that I have a protector, both in Him, and in my wonderful husband. From such little things as killing spiders (I am terrified of them!) to checking and locking the doors at night, I always feel better knowing that my dh has ensured our safety.
He protects us not just from physical danger, but also emotionally and spiritually, by strengthening our faith, taking care of our finances (protecting me from worry), and tending to the discipline of our headstrong 5yo :)
Without our protectors, this world would certainly be much scarier, and colder.
~Amy
Quickly, one of the areas my father protects ME from is having to deal with potential suitors. He will be my 'go-between' so that my emotions won't get in the way. He'll keep a clear head so that I won't make un-wise choices.
I might add more later, but I don't have time right now.
I believe I am the first single woman to comment in agreement that I need a protector. And, just for the record, I am 28 years old.
Just yesterday I journaled about if I were to marry I needed a "strong" husband--and I didn't just mean physical strength. I also wrote in my journal that I wanted a proctector.
Needing a proctector and a "strong" husband--does not weaken who I am. I have a "strong personality," so I need a man to marry who has an even stronger one--who is not afraid of my boldness and strengths, not afraid to be the "man" of the house--the head of the home.
Sure, there are lots of things that men and women CAN both do. I can kill cockroaches (I let the spiders live tho because they are our bug-eating friends). I can change lightbulbs. I can go on vacations by myself, and I can walk alone at night. But that doesn't mean I want to or even feel safe doing so. Every time I get in a taxi alone, I call someone and tell them the licence plate of the driver's car. Everytime I leave my home to go on a bike ride, I take my cell phone which is full of (male) students I could call in case of an accident or emergancy.
When I had a bunch of funiture delievered that needed to be put together--sure I had the ability and smarts enough to put it all together by myself. BUT, I didn't want to. Just because I can doesn't mean that I am created for it. I asked a few of my male students to come take care of it for me. They did--AND they ENJOYED doing it. In return, I did what I enjoyed--I took care of their physical hunger and thirst for the afternoon. :)
We are designed differently.
And just because I am able to live alone does not mean I don't still long for and need protecting. It does not mean I still don't long to take care of and help the men in my life. Being a "helper" or "helpmate" doesn't make me less important--it makes me feel good and valued and right.
It is a wonderful thing to be protected.
Well, the bible says a woman is a weaker vessel. I think it means that she does need to be protected from physically hurting herself. I knew a friend who was in the army and endedup with stress fractures in her hips from doing the carrying the weight that the men carried. There was another story of a girl in a concentration camp who carried heavy pots and her internal organs ripped and reattatched in the wrong places, from carrying the heavy things. It is not to say that men are not going to have this happen, but it is more common among women. Women can live on their own and wwork fine, but I think it is so much nicer not to harm yourself when you have a man around to help you and protect you from harming your body
Just to clarify for those who misunderstood, I in no way believe that women are inferior. I believe that they are to submit to their husband and that they have a different role than men, but they are not inferior. Their role is just as important, if not more important, than the role of men! We are to stand behind our man and raise up the next generation for the glory of God. What could be more fulfilling than that?!
Also, my belief that men are to be protectors is based upon the verses that men are to be the heads of the home (as shared in the original post). I believe that a head is responsible to protect and be in authority over. How this plays out will be a little bit different in each home and family. The important thing is that the husband/father is the head -- he is the chief and final decision maker and as such, bears responsibility for his household.
I was a woman who didn't think I needed protection but now I know better. I agree with all the women who said that their husbands protect them from their own selves and their own emotions. I understand that well. My steady and gentle husband has calmed me down before I did something hasty. My husband also protects me with his wise counsel. I don't always think things through but with my husband as a sounding board, I know I have a more well rounded perspective. My husband also protects my schedule and my time. I am a people pleaser who hates to say no...to anyone. He steps in and says to slow down when he sees me overcommitting my time with things that aren't compatible with our family goals. He also doesn't mind me saying "my husband doesn't wish for me to employ my time this way, or my husband isn't interested in this product or service (great way to get off the phone from telemarketers without being rude) or my husband feels this is way too much money to spend, he can do it himself much more economically (using this has saved us money on things like lawn services). My husband is also far more discerning with people. He has a gift for telling when people have hidden motives or are phony and insincere. I have ignored him regarding this to my detriment but no more. My husband as my protector has lifted such a burden of worry and indecision from my shoulders and by doing so has given me a peaceful life.
My husband is my protector in so many different ways: spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This doesn't make me some kind of nincompoop (sp?) or mindless maid. The roles are what they are because God made them that way. They work, and they're wonderful. Why would any woman NOT WANT to be protected, cared for, and loved like a precious gift? From what bitter root does this rebellious flower grow?
My sweet husband went outside tonight to check on things before a big freeze that is expected. He checked the pipes and pump house. Could I have done these chores? Of course. It's not a matter of know-how or ability. But the fact that he goes and does these things for me, for us, is such an attractive quality. He's taking care of us. His care makes me feel loved. He protects us...body and soul. I thank God for him every day. Women that scoff at this must never have had it and therefore they can't understand.
I don't really have anything to say as to why my dh is my protector cuz you all answered it for me! :-) But I will say...thank God for men who are willing to take a stand for righteousness, holinesss, and leading their families! There are many men out in this world, who are married with children and take no responsibility whatsoever. It's becoming more and more common. I think it's in the book of Timothy (which book I forgot), but that if a man can't provide for his family, he is worse than an infidel. I know no man would want to be labeled that, but that's what the word of God says.
Donna said: "My husband is also far more discerning with people. He has a gift for telling when people have hidden motives or are phony and insincere. I have ignored him regarding this to my detriment but no more."
This is so true for us too! My dh is wonderfully discerning and after several years of trying to do things my way instead of listening to him, I've finally come to realize how often he is right! I mean seriously, 99 out of 100 times, he is right on the money about things, situations and people.
I think that once we let go of always trying to figure everything out for ourselves, our husbands grow even wiser in these areas, knowing (even subconsciously) that they are protecting their loved ones with their ability to discern.
lol sorry this is so long, but that comment really struck me.
Amen!
~Amy
I have a prayer for women that feel that do not need or want "protection". I pray that they would meet a man who actually wants to take his biblical place and "take care" of her. Then she would know the difference. If more men would take their rightful place, it would be easier for women to follow them. There is no shame in submitting to your husband. In the book, Me? Obey Him? by Elizabeth Hanford Rice she wrote,
"If the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself, submitted to the authority of the Father, it is no shame or dishonor for a woman to be under authority."
God's plan is perfect. To try to reason with the Bible means you think that your way is better or smarter than God's. Either you believe the Bible or you don't.
I'm glad that Ash is showing interested in this subject.
As Mrs. B said, I need my husband to protect me spiritually, from doctrinal or theological deception. I've been pondering a lot what Paul said to Timothy in the verses Mrs. B referenced:
1Ti 2:12-14 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, {and} then Eve. And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
2Ti 3:6-7 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
There is something to the fact that women are more easily deceived than men when it comes to spiritual things. A wise husband or father can guide the home and the family spiritually.
I also need a protector to provide for me...so that I can be at home and care for our child(ren)!
And Amanda - your qualification for a husband is much like mine was! I knew that as a strong-willed woman, I would need a husband who was stronger than me in every way - mentally (smarter), spritually wiser and having stronger faith, physically, and emotionally. God blessed me with that kind of man, and I am so thankful for him! You are wise to look for a man who will be strong enough to lead you and tender enough to love you.
As a single mother in her mid-40's, I don't have the protection of a husband or father. Until the last year or so, I never realized that I need a protector. Maybe one day God in His wisdom and grace will bless me with the protection of a godly husband, but until then, I have to lean HEAVILY on the protection of the Holy Spirit.
((And Amanda - your qualification for a husband is much like mine was! I knew that as a strong-willed woman, I would need a husband who was stronger than me in every way - mentally (smarter), spritually wiser and having stronger faith, physically, and emotionally. God blessed me with that kind of man, and I am so thankful for him! You are wise to look for a man who will be strong enough to lead you and tender enough to love you.))
Becky Miller and Amanda: ME TOO!! I'm a strong-willed person as well. I LOVED your last paragraph, Becky, it summed my thoughts up so well! (o:
qxaI agree with Mrs. B, too... I am gullible when it comes to doctrine and tend to just accept what anyone says, as long as it doesn't sound blasphemous! My husband always thinks through whatever statement I have blindly accepted and shows me inaccuracies and consequences of that belief that I never would have thought of!
the only thing I disagree with is...Mrs. B, "I'm not sure this is an issue that a non-Christian can really understand." I am Muslim and agree 100%!!! We believe the exact same thing as far as men and womens roles, because God's word has never changed. Men and Women were created equal, but not the same.
AMEN! I grew up with a mother who was decieved by the feminist movement. I was highly exposed to it and as a woman who now embraces Biblical womanhood for the glory of God I can say that I do not think of myself as a doormat in this God-ordained role. I LOVE IT. See my post on this at:
http://god-willing.blogspot.com/2006/01/i-love-being-woman_23.html
I would lay my coat down over a puddle for you ladies anyday!
I love that my husband is head of our home. I thank God every day for a husband that protects my heart. I love that he makes the huge decisions in our home. That sounds as if I have no voice and that simply isn't true. I beleive in the man leading the family. I believe in the man standing in the gap for our family. I love that my husband protects my heart. He guards this family. He provides for us. We all have a ministry. My ministry is with my family. The home I keep. The food I feed my family. The nurturing I give my family- that is my ministry.
I work outside of the home now. It is part time. I worked up until the day I delivered our daughter and then I stayed home while my husband went out and provided for us. In my eyes that's the way it should be. I cherish every day that I had with my daughter. Our daughter is 10 now. I thank God for a husband that said...I'll work..you stay home..take care of our daughter. I want our values instilled in her. I know many family do not have the option for a parent to stay home. We made many sacrifices for me to do it. I do believe if it is possible that it is the best choice!
I'm all over the place with this post. I just wanted to add my thoughts and voice that I love being a help meet for my husband. Submitting is not being under your husband thumb. We have quide lines for our places in our family and marriages. God did not make us equal. The balances shift. One is stronger in other places. We have our different places in a marriage and family. Together it works.
I can't say that I need my husband to protect me from my emotions any more than he needs me. I know that my husband is physically stronger than I and able to protect me in that way, but most importantly - he is the spiritual head in my home. That means that since this is his God ordained role, he has spiritual insights that are invaluable to me. Being Christians means, among other things, that we have a mediator with God - that is Christ, and that we are all, men and women,led by the Holy Spirit. However, as a leader of our home, my husband takes his role seriously - he studies the Scriptures and teaches them to our family daily. Through prayer, he leads and protects me and my children. There isn't a non-Christian who could ever understand this fact. How could they? They don't have ears to hear or eyes to see these truths, they don't have God, Christ or the Holy Spirit to guide them.
I don't wonder why marriage is on the decline these days.
I am so glad I have my husband. What others seem to have a problem understanding that "protection" is more than just physical. I'm home alone with the kids during the day so he is not physically her to protect me. But he is here with me when someone hurts my feelings or says something that upsets me. I know he will "protect" me from that hurt and build me back up. It really is hard to explain to those who don't get it or maybe have never had it. My husband was placed here by God, just for ME, to be my man, my protector, my friend. He is my balance when I feel unbalanced, my anchor when I feel afloat. I am so thankful to be protected physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
I spent 10 years as a single mom. I HAD to make all of the decisions for myself and my son. I now am married to a wonderful man but I struggle. I know that a group can only have one leader and it should be him. The first two years of our marriage involved a lot of arguements over who got to decide what, unpleasant to say the least. The more I remind myself and allow myself to let him lead, the more I find that we achieve the sense of family and peace that I have always thought a marriage could be. The funny thing is, the more I trust him to lead the more he seems to value what I have to bear and the more we seem of a mind and become a true union.
I sometimes so wish to be protected, but I am still unmarried, and my family would flip out if they saw this site. (Well, maybe not my mom's cousin, but Leslie is almost too far in the *other* direction. =-\ )
I've got a flaming hot temper that I learned from my father, along with being calloused {sp?} to the bone alot. In a way, though, my father's always represented someone I was to obey without question. I also pray for a husband who would protect me from that, obedience from fear of reprisal. I also pray for a husband who can protect me from always wanting/trying to be so tough. As a child, I could not fit in with the little boys or the little girls, so I became rather neither male nor female in my actions and personality. I pray the Lord to send me a husband who can protect me as I always had to protect myself before, so that I can finally be "safe" to be a woman.
I hope that made sense. I'm only 21, and it's only been the last few years here, in college, that I've even found sites like this where an alternative was even possible, let alone encouraged. My deepest gratitude to the webmaster and all those who are working on this site, even just by their contribution of insightful comments.
God bless! ^_^
Crystal, I tend to see this from both sides of the issue. I know in my brain, from reading the Bible, that men are supposed to protect the women in their lives (wives and daughters) though this is someting I have not really experienced in the same way those of you posting have--especially not with my husband working out of town all week long. I guess in some ways, reading everyone's comments I am a little jealous!
I guess the ladies who read your post here are going to have one of three perspectives on it. There will be ladies like you, Crystal, who have always had a good, honorable man to protect you in a Godly fashion, whether father or husband or both. Then there are ladies who fall to the other extreme who have needed protection FROM the men in their lives (which is the case with me when I grew up in a very abusive home), and then those who never experienced this godly protection and see it as silly.
But the point is not about how we have or have not received this protection and the point is not related to our widely differing circumstances. No, the bottom line, for all of us, would have to be "What does the Bible say?" And though I have had negative experiences with males in my life in the past, I have to concede that if the Bible says it, then it is true--period.
Even if God never allows me to know what it is like to be protected and cherished by a father, that does not negate that His will is for Fathers and for Husbands to protect, respect and cherish the women in their lives, and I am thankful to read here that there are still men who do so.
Kimberly E.
The feminist response you posted for us is completely ludicrous! Just because husband's cannot protect us from *everything* does not nullify his position as our protectors. We, as mothers, protect our children. We can't shield them from all dangers but we will do everything in our power to do so! I know I can't take a bullet without harm to myself, but I'd take one to protect my children and/or give them time to excape. I know I can't win a battle against nature but I'd use my last breath to help my children to safety!
The same is true for husbands. I can count on my husband to protect me from physical aggression (his size would make anyone think twice before approaching his little wife with any evil intentions).
He is always calm and rationlizes situations that I may be too emotionally wrapped up in.
If I have gotten in over my head in some project or other, he will come in and fix it for me. This may not be physical protection, but he has rescued me from difficult situations all the same.
He protects me and our children from crude language or behavior by others and no one has been been at all upset about obliging with his request.
My husband has also protected me from emotionally charged situations. He knows my limits (and my hot buttons) and when to redirect me or the other individual.
Yes, I do need protection but it doesn't make me feel like a weakling to say so. I feel secure knowing that I have someone I can count on.
Michelle
First, let me thank you for the wonderful job you are doing.
Secondly, I agree completely with what you said about women needing protectors.
I am 17, homeschooled, and not planning on leaving my father's home until I marry. If I don't marry, well, Mom and Dad are stuck with me =). Young women especially need protection because our emotions and hearts run away with us. We need the strong guidance of our fahters to help us through this time of singleness.
I need the protection of my father from worldly influences, and to help me serve God to the fullest of my ability. He has given us men for a reason, and given men the headship of women for a reason.
Adam was created first and called to rule over the earth. Eve was created from Adam to be his helpmeet. When Adam through Eve sinned, both were cursed. Adam was to work and provide for his fmaily by the sweat of his brow, and Eve was cursed by having pain in childbirth.
Men are created to be stronger and protect women. That's how God made it, and that way is best.
I am posting this in response to your email BEFORE I read any of the other comments. I did not want to be swayed by what other commenters said, though I am sure there will be plenty others that I will agree with.
I was born and raised a feminist by a single mother, with no real male role model. I married while a feminist and helped my marriage fall apart as a feminist. While divorced from my husband who loved me and sought me by any means, the Lord had mercy on me and I was saved. I spent hours reading God's Word and praying about what I should do about my disolved marriage. My head said that the marriage was over because I had committed adultry. My God said that He has mercy and forgives and so would my husband. I obeyed God and He became Reconciliation to me. God is a God of Reconciliation.
Even after reconciliation it took God about 5 years to beat it into my head that I was to be submissive to my husband, to allow him to lead, to allow him to PROTECT me. I didn't understand it all then. All I knew is that God required me to obey and reverence my husband. It wasn't until I obeyed God that I began to understand all the blessings of that obedience. Now I understand...and I'm sure I will come to understand more for the rest of my life.
Do women need protectors? YES Why? Mainly to protect me from myself!!! More and more God is showing me that I am JUST like Eve. I am DECIEVED. I think I'm independent and can make decisions all on my own - better than my husband. And this isn't blatent...it's so...well...deceptive. Over and over I find myself saying and doing things without thinking of what my husband wishes or what he would do. Isn't that just like Eve?
It has gotten so that I am horrified by what could result from even one tiny little thing I do out from under the protection of my husband. After all, Eve was the cause of man's fall. What sins have I dragged my husband into because he loves me? How have our family, our children, our ancestors been affected by my unprotected actions?
Praise God for his mercy...but the questions still remain. I thank God for my protector - my man!!! And I pray constantly that I will be ever mindful of Eve - that I will be able to ALWAYS stay under the protection of my man.
I don't think any feminist could understand any of this. I couldn't when I was caught up in feminism. All I cared about was myself. The only way a feminist will understand is if she submits to God, obeys God, and begins to obey her husband. When the blessings start to rain down THEN she will understand. In the meantime the arguments are futile. All we can do is pray for the feminists.
An interesting discussion worthy of having would be my initial reaction to the topic of "Do Women Need Protectors". After four days of college shopping with my 17yo daughter I am dismayed that "Christian Feminism" is so prevalant at "Christian" colleges. At a number of colleges we were told that either professors were feminists or that courses in "Christian Feminism" were available for study. In my humble opinion Christian Feminism is a contradiction in terms. God has set up an authority structure in His word that a woman should submit to her husband and that a man should lay down his life for his wife. After 22yrs of marriage I can honestly say that when we are obedient to the structure that God has set up for our marriage it is truly a beautiful thing. In seeking out an institution of higher learning for my daughter it troubles me that God's truth is being eclipsed by the world's feministic lie. Thank you for standing for the truth of God's word. I am grateful to stand in obedience to God under my husband's protection. SS
This is my second time to comment on a blog so bear with me if I make a mistake. The first one was when I went to the feminist's site you gave a link to. You can go there to see my comment if you are interested, as it's too long to post here. Wow, it is so disheartening to read those comments. God does say there will be those who cannot see or hear the truth so it doesn't surprise me, but it certainly hurts my heart.
I think you ladies pretty much covered all the bases with the ways a husband protects us. My husband is not perfect, but he is just right for me and I love him, and his protection, with all of my heart.
titus2want2b, I completely agree with your closing statement. I too was raised in a home where feminism was present. I experienced having both parents, a single parent, and more than one live-in boyfriend. My mother was never submissive and I saw the product of it. My mother was miserable and unhappy and to this day thinks it is because of the men in her life. While I'm not saying it was all her fault, I will say that she was greatly responsible. I was only exposed to church a handful of times growing up until my teens when I started going with a friend and was saved. Unfortunately, without any Christian background and life being what it is, I did not grow, but fell away. When my husband and I married we decided to start going to church again. We didn't want to pass on the legacy that had been passed on for generations in our families. It took me a while to begin to grow and I made a lot of foolish mistakes along the way. I can truly say that it is by the grace of God that I am still married. I did begin to be a "better" wife over the years and things smoothed out. But when I recently came to the understanding that God has given us individual roles and that my marriage was stressful because of it, I began to make changes. My husband has been so responsive and it has brought us closer to God and closer to each other.
The feminist mindset is being taught in the public school system as well as in all types of media. It is a hard thing to try to "convert" a feminist. We really should pray for them. They need it.
In my comment on the feminist site, I addressed the anger and hatred they are putting forth in their writings. I told them that they wouldn't find that here. I am glad to find like minded women out there. I was beginning to think I'm the only one who believes like I do. Funny how lonely one can be in the middle of so many people!
In His Love
BTW, I used the name "Blessed" on the other site.
Thanks for all these wonderful thoughts and comments, Ladies! Very insightful!
For those who may be a bit unclear on Theresa's post and the site she references, you aren't signed up for my email newsletter. :) If you are curious as to what she is referring to, feel free to email me. :)
I have been so blessed by reading all of these comments! Thank you so much, ladies....your testimonies have touched me and encouraged me! (o:
Is it not for husbands and brothers to also look after a young lady's reputation and honor; to protect both from those who would take advantage? Perhaps my thinking is a bit old fashioned on such things.
Thanks for sharing this post, despite the opposition. It is merely the perspective of a brother, but it seems to me that those who know not a brother's or a father's love and protection cannot be looked down upon anymore than a Christian man or woman looks down upon someone who knows not the love of Christ. To the world, of course, such love and protection is foolishness. It is "too good to be true"; a fairytale make-believe that some people get trapped in or escape to after they’ve sufferred abuse. One thing is for certain: It is not the reality that an unbeliever lives in. But will we have the compassion and courage to show them something better?
Track Back: The Need for Protection in the Church
One way that men protect women is to defend her life at the risk of his own. Women and children are the future therefore they must be protected at all cost. Children because they are the future generation and women because they are the nurtures of that future. Notice how the Bible commands men to love their wives in Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and GAVE HIMSELF for it" The word for love here in greek refers to a self-sacrificing love, a love that gives and expects nothing in return. This word is never used when the wife is to love the husband. Rather when the wife is to love the husband the word for love means a tender, affectionate, brotherly love. This is very interesting knowing how men and women work emotionally. But the concept of men giving their lives to save women is greatly lost in our nation as well as the rest of the world, because the majority of men (wimps) have stepped down and allowed women to protect them and rule them. There is no getting around the fact that women are weaker than men. Therefore from the creation of the world until now the rule was that men fight the war and work the feilds while women raise the children. Raising children takes lots of emotional love, while protecting requires a lot of phisycal strength and level headness. Hence, God in his great wisdom made women emotional inclined and the ones to be protected, while he made men strong, reasonalbe and the ones to protect. Who's the one not making sense here? Womens lives need to be protected because of their calling to bear and raise children. I think the reason the feminist don't understand this is because they have taken up the mans calling for their own. A women that thinks that her function is to bring in money and rule ineveably does not think she needs protected any more then the men she works along side with in the world. Our function and make up are the reasons we need protect not only physicaly but also emotionally. The fact that the man protects the women instead of everyone fending for themselves just shows the GREAT wisdom of God our creator. And by giving us His word to direct us in this issue shows His great love and mercy. I am so thankful for my men, my father and brothers, as well as other courages men, they would protect us ladies at all cost, that's the way it should be.
All glory be to God our Savior,
Lydia
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