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The Weaker Sex
A THOUGHT EXERCISE – The Weaker Sex
When you look in the Bible, women are the “weaker vessel” (1 Peter 3:7), but I think contextually that is referring to position not personally. Submission is the more delicate position. While women are the “weaker vessel”, I am inclined to think men are the “weaker sex”; a term commonly used to describe women.
When men act like women are the “weaker sex”, they often are dominant in a dangerous way. Ironically this proves they are the weaker sex. Weakness, covered up by ego, is disguised as domineering.
In general, I have concluded men are weaker; not physically, but spiritually. Too often this is seen Biblically. Think along these lines:
1. How often in the Bible do we find weak women spiritually following weak men?
2. How often in the Bible do we find weak men following domineering women?
3. How often in the Bible do we find strong women making their men stronger?
The pattern appears to be weak men following spiritually weak women. Adam followed Eve. Samson gave in to Delilah. Solomon followed way too many. Jezebel led Ahab. So many men nowadays follow their women instead of leading, especially when male Christians marry a female non-Christian. While anecdotal, this has been my experience. Vice versa, when strong female Christians marry male non-Christians, they are more likely convert their husbands. Again, anecdotal.
Women were created to be helpers; maybe part of that is the weakness of men, part of God’s plan to humble the male ego, possibly.
So here is a plea to all you women – help your husbands be the leaders they are designed to be. If you are seeing a self-contradition here, that the weaker is to lead, you are not wrong. But I would call it a paradox, God’s upside-down way. Isn’t it God’s way to turn weaknesses into strength according to Paul’s thorn in the flesh? Don’t we overcome evil with compassion according to Romans 12? How about turning the other cheek? God didn’t design male leadership because men were stronger, but because we are weaker, made stronger by our helpers.
Only with God’s design can men not follow weakness. This is by first acknowledging we are; then allowing godly women to help us. So men, choose well by not following even weaker women, and realizing all strength ultimately comes from God’s ways. This is true when God’s ways don’t seem.to make sense in a world that twists everything including having the weaker be made made stronger to lead the already strong.
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