Why Women by Design

Have you ever wished you were different? I've always wished I was taller. At age fifty-two I've pretty much come to accept the the fact that I stopped growing forty years ago. But even now there are times when I find myself wishing I was at least three inches over five feet (6' would be ideal). But it is pointless for me to imagine having long legs. I am 4'11 3/4" short because this is precisely God's design for me.

From the first days of life in the Garden of Eden until now women have chafed against God's plan for them, and have desperately tried to create a better way.

Sadly, women, like Eve, would rather believe a lie than submit to the truth. But in this blog, we want to boldly proclaim the truth of God's creative design; thus the name: Women By Design. While we want to be bold in our commitment to God's word, we at the same time want to humbly plead for God's grace to help us embrace this truth with joyful obedience for the glory of God.

How many of us, at one time or another have complained about womanhood? Beginning with the first menstrual cramps, to not being allowed to play on the boys' high school football team, to not getting the promotion we thought we deserved, to labor pains and staying at home with the children while hubby is at work enjoying lunches in restaurants with clients, to dealing with hot flashes in menopause, we have all at one time or another wished we were not female.

But if you believe God created this world and everything in it, then hopefully you will agree with me that it was created with a design (purpose). I was created female for a purpose. There is a sovereignly created design for my life. When I embrace my design I find joy and freedom, fulfillment and fruitfulness. When I resist my design there is envy, anger, frustration, and all manner of joy-deadening responses and actions. Worst than that, we are setting ourselves above God and accusing Him of making mistakes.

You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has not understanding"? (Isaiah 29:16)

Commenting on this verse Martin Luther wrote:

It is as if the work should say of him that made it, "He made me not; I made myself." If God made us, he certainly knows us as the psalmist shows in Psalm 139:13-16: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." Proverbs 16:4 also tells us, "The Lord has made everything for its purpose.."

Ladies, will you join me as we seek to grow in our understanding of how and why God made us female? We want to encourage each other to joyfully and passionately embrace our design and find God's blessing in it. I invite you to become a "Woman by Design;" a woman, who no matter what age or stage of life, will echo Samuel: "Speak Lord for your servant is listening," and know as Eli knew, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him."