God’s Design for You: Embracing Biblical Roles

Today we are starting a mini (two-part) series explaining what God’s design is for us! Be on the lookout for part 2 in the coming months. 

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve seen the craziness in society in relation to gender. According to a medically reviewed article, there are 72 genders besides male and female, or so society says. I’m not sure why, but culture seems to want to question and challenge traditional design and gender roles. So if that’s what culture thinks, then why should we even ascribe to the traditional way of thinking? Because God's design is perfect, and it remains unchanging and purposeful. God specifically created each and every one of us uniquely but with a way for men and women to work together to glorify Him. He created us all to complement each other in the home, church, and ministry.

Part 1: 

God’s Intentional Design

So God created man in his own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. (Genesis 1:27 CSB)

In the beginning of time, actually before there ever really was “time”- God looked around at all of the creation He had made- the moon, stars, sun, earth, sky, water, land, trees, plants, animals of every kind. The end of verse 25 tells us that God looked at all of that creation and thought it was good. Creation without humans was good. 

God didn’t leave it there, He (in all His wisdom and grace) created a human man. 

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. (Genesis 2:15 CSB) 

Genesis even tells us the reason God created the first man- to watch over and work the garden. He created man to be a caretaker for God’s creation. God didn’t stop there. 

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said:

This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man.

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:21-24 CSB)

God created the first woman. God could have made her out of nothing, but He chose to use part of the man to create her. Take a moment to pause and reflect on this creation of the first man and woman- it is so purposeful.

Verse 24 continues by explaining that man and wife (sounds like a traditional heterosexual marriage scenario) create one flesh. Together they are a team. 

I am a proud single lady. I have no husband. Does this mean I am less than God’s intentional design because I can’t be a team with my husband? No. (We will actually have a post later about how to trust God and live a single life.)

So now that we have an understanding of how God purposefully designed man and woman to reflect His character (by being created in HIS image), yet He gave them distinct complementary roles to play, let’s look at more specifics. 

God’s Role for Men in the Home

because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. (Ephesians 5:23 CSB) 

So I’ll be honest, the first few times I read this verse, I was indignant. (because I am a strong independent woman who does not need a man obviously.) But I have come to learn to respect this verse as I’ve seen it lived out in some couples I’m friends with. God didn’t plan for the man to rule over his wife or dominate and abuse her. That is not what being the head means. Just as we, the church, go to Christ humbly asking Him to lead us and provide for us, wives should look to their husbands in a similar way. A key word here is “humbly”. 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. (Ephesians 5:25 CSB) 

Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7 CSB)

Christ is the Savior of the church. The husband is supposed to model Christ’s love, leadership, and sacrifice for his wife. 

But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8 CSB)

Just as the first man was supposed to care for God’s creation, husbands are to care for their wife’s needs. 

Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. (Titus 2:2 CSB)

Oh boy! Men really have a lot to live up to per God’s Word. This verse reminds me that men in the home, at work, in the church, on the golf course, or really any place should always be mindful of the fact that they are representing God.

God’s Role for Women in the Home

Every woman who has been in church for a while knows the “perfect wife” chapter of the Bible- Proverbs 31.  I have a lot of opinions on that chapter of the Bible, but too many for this post. So instead let’s look at some verses in 1 Peter.

In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by the way their wives live when they observe your pure, reverent lives. Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, but rather what is inside the heart—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3:1-4 CSB)

Alright, where are my ladies at? (Seeing as the audience for our blog is all ladies, I hope all my ladies are right here, right now.) 

The way we live can make a difference. Women are to live a pure and reverent life. We are to be respectful to God, first and foremost, and then to the husbands or male leaders in our lives. Obviously we can’t be completely sinless because nobody is, but we can strive to be. We can strive to watch our tongues (speaking to myself here) and let our actions speak for themselves. 

I am definitely one who loves jewelry, and I keep my hair dyed. Does that mean I am disobeying the Bible? No. What is meant in this passage is that we must keep in mind that our hearts should be the most beautiful parts of us. God cares about our hearts being gentle and pure more than our physical beauty- whether natural or added on with things like jewelry or make-up.

We know women are so much more than what was mentioned above. Most women are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. God designed these relationships, too. Specifically, He designed for His glory to be shown as we reflect His character in interacting in these relationships in our homes.

Live Out God’s Design

Some people may look at the Biblical definitions of men and women’s roles and assume they are taken from a prideful, haughty point of view. That is nowhere near the truth. Both men and women are called and designed to work together in the home in a humble and loving way. Again I want to remind all my single ladies out there that this, in no way, indicates that as a single woman you are less than because you do not have a partner. The way God designed women in general is to have a husband, yes. But God also equips some of us to live without a husband for a time or forever, which is okay. We are able to reflect His grace in both life circumstances. 

I would challenge you to always seek the Biblical truths on gender, on marriage, on life and avoid falling into the trap of society’s lies. While some of my more independent, strong-willed ladies want to assume that humble submission to a husband or to God’s plan and design is really oppression- please hear me when I say following God’s ways leads to beautiful freedom, never oppression. 

Seek God this week and ask Him how you can better live out the design He has for you.