God's Design for Women vs. Culture's
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him'” (Genesis 2:18 ESV).
Let’s talk about designer brands. The handbags, the shoes, the high-priced sunglasses. You know the drill. We girls love them, and why not? They’re statements: I’m high-quality. I’m authentic. I’ve got style. And hey, some of them really are spectacular!
Did you know that God has a designer brand, too? Yeah, you heard me. God has a divine design for womanhood, and it’s way better than the cheap knockoffs the world’s been peddling.
When Culture Created Knockoff Womanhood
Somewhere along the way in America, around 1960, some folks decided that God’s design was out of fashion. The women’s movement of my childhood essentially said, “Forget God. We’ll create a design and decide for ourselves what we are.” And, well, here we are—living in a world where “womanhood” now involves being as strident, sexual, self-centered, and power-hungry as humanly possible.
No wonder everyone’s so happy these days. Oh wait. . . they’re not. Did you know that rates of anxiety and depression among women have actually increased over time?
The Original Designer’s Plan for Women
So let’s go back to where this all began. In Genesis 2:18, God made man first, then created woman to be “a helper fit for [man]” (ESV).
While men and women were designed as spiritual equals, women were designed as helpers for men. It’s a powerful position—one that supports humanity at its core. It’s also a position of submission, to trust in the man’s ultimate authority to lead, but in a beautiful, humble way.
It was the perfect designer brand—a thought-out design with intention and direction.
Struggles Sin Caused Women to Have
Then, in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve step outside of God’s command, and their disobedience results in consequences. For the woman, God’s curse includes multiplied pain in childbirth and tension in the authority-submission relationship of husband and wife.
It’s become an ongoing struggle between the sexes, with women seeking control and men seeking dominance. The evidence is everywhere—broken relationships, homes in chaos, and women feeling more unhappy, exhausted, and unfulfilled than ever.
Don’t Settle for a Knockoff Womanhood
God’s original designer label is beautiful, well-made, and able to hold up under time and pressure. When we fight that original design—particularly in our marriages—we are settling for a knockoff version of womanhood that leaves us emptier than ever.
Let me be clear: This design is not a rigid 1950s housewife archetype or a life sentence to being barefoot and pregnant. Just think of the Proverbs 31 woman—she strengthens her arms, she sees a field and buys it, she works and creates things and sells them, she is a hardworking, balanced woman who smiles at her future. She has the humble confidence of a woman who celebrates her God-given design.
God’s Designed a Beautiful Role for Women, Culture Hasn’t
God has a beautiful intention and role for women. Just think of the Easter story, which we’ll celebrate this weekend: It was women who arrived at the tomb, ready to prepare Jesus’ body, who spoke to the angels and got to be the first witnesses to His resurrection (see Luke 24).
Ladies, you can keep chasing the culture’s definition of womanhood—always trendy, always shifting, always striving, and always disappointing—or you can embrace the timeless, spectacular design your Creator made just for you. You can be a cheap imitation, or you can be a masterpiece. Your choice.
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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.
