The Little Feminist

I strongly believe in the importance of men and women's complementary biblical roles, I find it frustrating that society no longer respects those roles, and one of my deepest desires is to be what the Word says a woman of God should be. I would call myself a staunch anti-feminist. And though I could explain to you what God says about femininity and womanhood, and tell you all the ways I would like to apply those things to my life, lurking inside me(in a not-so-very well- hidden spot) is a foreboding and unwanted personage. She hates submission. She is impatient and disrespectful. She is opinionated and mouthy. She often thinks she could handle things much better than all the men out there combined. And she wears pant suits. She, my friends, is the Little Feminist. (Okay, so the pant suits aren't absolutely necessary.)

This inner "feminist" is simply a manifestation of the sinful nature that we are all born with. It is the rebellious nature that balks at submission, and refuses to show respect to certain men in my life. It hinders every aspect of my journey to becoming a biblical woman of God, from the specific call to women to submit to fathers and husbands and cultivate a gentle and quiet spirit, to more general areas like showing forgiveness and patience. One can proclaim to be an anti-feminist, yet still have this small, but powerful figure controlling much of the way they live.

It is my belief that growth toward biblical femininity is largely impossible until the Little Feminist is acknowledged. This means recognizing that ugly part of you that does all the things you don't believe you should do, and only does the things you do believe you should do when she's not feeling particularly mulish. In their book So Much More, authors Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin point out,

"We direct our rebellion at God through our rebellion to men. This means that all women are rebellious feminists at heart. Without God's help, it is impossible to overcome our stubborn rebellion. Before we can expect any fruitful results in our society, we must first work toward results in our own hearts, starting with repentance and humility, asking God to help us fight our flesh."

This process will not be effortless, but it will be worth it. It will include prayerfully examining our lives to identify the ways in which we are allowing our rebellious natures to keep us from becoming the women God wants us to be, and repenting. It may involve initiating a discussion with the male authority in our lives about our desire to change some of the ways we relate to them. Then by cheerfully being their helpers, we can begin aiding(rather than hindering) them in fulfilling their God-ordained role as leaders. Finally, we need to go on to learn more about God's design for womanhood. Until we know what God wants from us, we cannot experience the joy and fulfillment He has for us in doing His will. Some great verses to get you started are Proverbs 31:10-31, Ephesians 5:23, 1 Corinthians 11:3, and 1 Timothy 2:12-13. May God bless all of you ladies as you seek to be conformed to God's will!