Man, I Feel Like a Woman!

Back in my high school days, a country singer named Shania Twain came out with a song titled, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.” Although I can’t remember all of the song, the line that is stuck in my head this morning says, “I want to be free to feel the way I feel. Man, I feel like a woman.”  So…as I write my blog post I ask myself this question, “What does it feel like to be a woman?  Where does my freedom lie?”  The cry of people’s hearts is freedom; the cry of my heart is freedom.  We don’t like feeling boxed in, controlled, and dictated to.  We want to make our own choices, live our own lives, and express ourselves in ways that feel good to us.  But, when we do those things, are we truly free?  Are we satisfied?  I must admit most of the time I’d say NO, I’m not satisfied with what society screams at me about being a woman and my feelings or my freedom.  It seems like when I live my life for myself, and focus on doing those things that are self-serving, I walk away empty.  I don’t feel the abundant life that Christ has promised; I’m not full of joy and peace.

This all leads me to ask…What was I created for?  What was God thinking when He made women?   What does womanhood look like according to Scripture?  Well, I took a journey to Genesis 1:27 which says, “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”  That verse immediately tells me I was created in the likeness of God, with His characteristics, His attributes.  When I think about my three boys, it’s so interesting to see their characteristics and attributes.  No one taught Josh to stand just like Brad, but he does.  No one taught Caleb how to laugh and engage with people like his daddy, but he does.  And anyone who is around David knows his strong-willed personality is just like mine…poor child, he has a long road ahead of him. 😉  When we think about it, our children do things that are similar to us because they came from us.  Just like we are created like God, therefore we should look and act like He does.

Let’s think about another passage of Scripture that speaks to a woman’s role.  Genesis 2:18 says, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”  We all know, the helper God is speaking of here is Eve.  She was Adam’s wife and the being that God created to complete Adam.  Wow…to think that part of my womanhood is to be a helper to my husband.  That is inspiring when you truly think about it.  God trusts me enough to allow me to help Brad in ways that no one else can.  No other living being can complete Brad like I can, because God made it that way.

The next favorite womanhood Scripture that came to my mind is Ephesians 6:22-24: “Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.  But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”  Most of us to some degree either cringe at this thought, or argue with it.  “How can I ever submit to this imperfect man?”  I mean, it is easy to think about the church submitting to Christ.  But when I truly stop all the voices in my head and I think about Jesus, I realize in Philippians 2 it says Jesus did not see equality with God as something to grasp.  Instead, He left heaven to serve, of His own free will.  I don’t have to submit to Brad, but I can!!  I can give Brad the same gift Christ gave me, the gift of a servant.  I can embrace that characteristic that is within Christ; therefore, if I’m made in His image, it’s also in me.

To all my single friends out there…don’t be afraid of positioning yourself for marriage.  No man is perfect, and neither are you.  You can ask God to begin changing your mindset about these truths.  And ask Him to show you who He has for you to marry.  Too many women look at men and see all their failures.  Let’s not do that…let’s not judge, but allow Christ to show us their hearts.

Accepting who God created me to be is true freedom.  It’s what the cry in each of our hearts is.  It’s how we were created.  It’s God’s perfect will, which is never confining or controlling, but liberating.

If you find yourself struggling with these truths, you know what I’m about to say…repent, ask God to transform your thinking to His thinking. Sit with God. Be with God. It is in those times of sitting, and being, that transformation comes and true freedom is found.

Man! I feel like a woman!

This post was written by Julie Snellgrove. To read more about her, click here.