These woman are declaring that they do not need anyone, especially
a man. Some of these women have embraced the concept of strength out of
necessity as men have left them; many others have adopted the sentiment with
deliberate determination, seeing successful careers as more valued than
marriage.
The Bible states, "You
husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with
someone weaker, since she is a woman" (I Peter 3:7 NASB). God clearly
declares that women are weaker than men. I had heard this verse often without
giving it much thought, but this past winter the truth became clear to me.
Mountains of things had piled on me all at once: a bad
dream, poor sleep, the aftermath of a record-breaking snowstorm, the physical
demands of shoveling, isolation from church due to canceled services, computer
issues at work and home, the accumulated weariness from multiple weeks of
overtime, financial decisions, social disappointments, and interruptions to
relaxation. This "perfect storm" of combined factors left me
completely overwhelmed.
As I thought of the phrase "weaker vessel," I realized God had chosen those words
for a reason. I saw His intended meaning illustrated in my life. Women are
designed in a certain way, and so are men. Both men and women, because they are
mortal, are weak to some extent; in general, however, men have strength to endure
things that women are not as well-equipped to endure.
In the experience of my recent days, that disparity had become
obvious. I had faced physical, mental, emotional, social, and even spiritual challenges
due to the accumulated events. Many of these challenges required man-strength,
but I was trying to face them with woman-strength. In truth, even some men
faltered under the current experiences or others like them. I realized there
are things that women, by God's design, are less equipped to handle than men,
and I had just faced a bunch of them all at once.
I considered how women react when woman-strength isn't
enough and they are confronted with things requiring man-strength. I believe
the most basic response is tears. When women are stretched beyond their limits,
especially for some duration, their weakness eventually breaks them down and
comes out in tears. In general, tears mean that the demands are greater than
the strength. Crying demonstrates that woman is the weaker vessel.
Other signs can accompany tears. An overly-stretched woman might
become extra tired, require additional rest, or even collapse physically. She
might become clumsy or make mistakes. These indications that a woman has moved
beyond her level of strength are probably not purposeful; instead, they happen
automatically because God has designed her as a weaker vessel. She can handle
only a certain level of demands.
It can be uncomfortable to cry, especially in public or if
it happens frequently. Some women avoid crying if at all possible, embarrassed
by what they perceive as weakness or failure. While women can misuse tears for
wrong purposes, healthy tears are designed by God to indicate that the
limitations of woman-strength have been exhausted and that corrective
adjustments should be taken. Tears also therapeutically relieve pressure that
has built up and can be a legitimate call for comfort and support.
Especially if a woman does not understand God's view of
crying, she might substitute anger for tears. While anger seemingly protects
her by masking her vulnerability, it often hurts her family or friends. Unlike
restorative and benign tears, anger's release is negative and hurtful. Anger
can seem to provide energy for continued attempts at meeting the demands; unfortunately,
this energy is short-lived, as the anger also saps energy and ultimately makes
the woman less productive. In addition to violent outbursts, anger can also
take the form of sullenness, resentment, or silence. The non-verbal
communication that "I'm doing this, and I'm going to keep doing this, but
I am not going to like it" curtails her expressions of love to her family
and make it obvious to all around her that she is not happy. Finally, anger
almost always indicates a spiritually incorrect response; while people,
organizations, or objects may appear to be the recipient of the anger,
ultimately the woman is angry at God, whom she blames for creating her
overwhelming situation.
An overwrought woman might also substitute quitting for
tears. Crying does provide some release; people have long recognized the value
of "a good cry," after which someone is able to return again to the
challenges of life. Through tears, someone can acknowledge that the challenge
is too big to handle, but through the tears, that person can make adjustments.
Quitting also acknowledges that a challenge is too big, but instead of
adjusting, it responds by not trying anymore. If God has providentially placed
the challenge, then it cannot be right to just give up.
There are times in life that ordinary woman-strength is not
sufficient to meet the demands. If a woman forgets the truth that God has made
her a weaker vessel, she could respond with discouragement, overwhelming,
confusion, disillusionment, anger, or guilt. It is helpful for a woman to
recognize what is going on, realizing that her situation is too big for
woman-strength, and that her body, mind, and emotions are going to react to the
overpowering demands. She can be calm in understanding that her abnormal, fragile
responses have a legitimate cause. When she knows they are merely
manifestations of God's truth about how He made women, she can acknowledge reality,
make adjustments, and move forward in an understanding way.
"'My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly,
therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ
may dwell in me." II Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)
Very interesting take on this, friend! Thanks for sharing!
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