City Life Starter

The WORD: 1 Corinthians 11:13-16 (PHILLIPS)

“Of course, in the sight of God neither ‘man’ nor ‘woman’ has any separate existence. For if woman was made originally for man, no man is now born except by a woman, and both man and woman, like everything else, owe their existence to God. But use your own judgment, do you think it right and proper for a woman to pray to God bare-headed? Isn’t there a natural principle here, that makes us feel that long hair is disgraceful to a man, but of glorious beauty to a woman? We feel this because the long hair is the cover provided by nature for the woman’s head. But if anyone wants to be argumentative about it, I can only say that we and the churches of God generally hold this ruling on the matter.”

By Heather Mattingly

Thus far in Chapter 11 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, Paul is addressing the proper order of authority; specifically with regards to visible symbols (head coverings) and positions of orderly authority within the church. Admittedly, head coverings are not something we see very often in our current-day society, but Paul’s language and admonishments sound familiar, don’t they? He’s addressing the ancient version of the current-day mindset of, “who are you to tell me what to do?!” and, “women can do anything men can do.”

We serve a God of peace and order, and He invented authority to keep that peace and order. The opposite of peace is chaos. He calls us out of the chaos of the world and into His Kingdom of peace. But there can be no peace without order, and there can be no order without authority. If everyone is in charge, then no one is, and the end result is chaos. God even models authority for us within the Trinity: Jesus Himself, God the Son, being fully God, “…..made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:7). The God of the Universe, the Creator of everything, humbled Himself and submitted Himself to the will of His Father, and became a defenseless embryo because of His love for you. If our Lord and Savior modeled submission like this when He walked this earth, how much more should we submit to the order and authority that He places for us in our lives!

In these four verses, Paul is specifically addressing head-coverings for women. Head coverings symbolized submission to a man in the woman’s life (i.e., a father, a husband, or a male relative). Head coverings were a visible symbol of an invisible reality: a symbol of covering, protection, and provision for the woman, and voluntary submission by the woman to her authority (she chose whether or not to adorn her head covering).

There is something glorious about genuine masculine men and feminine women of God. But how do you define and know what genuine masculinity or femininity is? You must go to the Manufacturer, our Lord Jesus Christ. He invented masculinity, femininity – you – and He knows how you work best. For “in Him all things were created……all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col 1:16).  The temptation is to turn to the world and its messages to tell you what masculinity or femininity is. Resist this! The world looks for happiness through self-assertion; the Christian knows that true joy is found in self-abandonment. Jesus tells us that “if you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it.” (Matt 10:39 NLT).

Turn to the Living Word of God and let Him tell you who you are. If you are a man, your masculinity is a gift; if you are a woman, your femininity is a gift. Your body is a gift; God gave it to you for His glory and will teach you your greatest lessons through it. But you must seek Him, your Manufacturer, and let Him tell you how to be the man or a woman He’s created you to be, and how to submit to the authority He’s placed you under, or how to serve in a position of authority.

One of my favorite authors is a missionary and Christian writer Elisabeth Elliot, and I wanted to share something she wrote with all of you ladies today. Mrs. Elliot writes: “It is a naive sort of feminism that insists that women prove their ability to do all the things that men do. This is a distortion and a travesty. Men have never sought to prove that they can do all the things women do. Why subject women to purely masculine criteria? Women can and ought to be judged by the criteria of femininity, for it is in their femininity that they participate in the human race. And femininity has its limitations. So has masculinity. That is what we’ve been talking about. To do this is not to do that. To be this is not to be that. To be a woman is not to be a man. To be married is not to be single – which may mean not to have a career. To marry this man is not to marry all the others. A choice is a limitation.”

~Elisabeth Elliott, “Let Me Be A Woman”

Prayer:

“Father, thank You for making me ME! You have made a miracle by making me, for I “am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Ps. 139:14). Thank You for this body that You have graciously given to me, especially for making me the (man or woman) You chose that I would be. Will You show me how to be the (man or woman) of God You want me to be today? Holy Spirit, please show me how I can glorify You in my submission to my authority figures today and/or through serving in my position of authority today? Holy Spirit, please help me do all things as unto You today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”