The experiment failed. It failed miserably. The cruelty of the
experiment was that you and I didn’t even know we were participants. Some of us
bear deep scars from the experiment. Others lost their identity because of the
experiment. Our daughters and granddaughters, sons and grandsons are more
vulnerable because of the experiment. All of society was influenced – in one
way or another -- by this experiment.
The experiment was called the “girlhood
project”. During the 1960s and 70s, boys were boys, but girls were an
“experiment”. What does this mean? It means that many in the modern feminist
crowd desired that girls become more like boys. With that goal in mind, dresses
were out and jeans were in. Ballet and dance were out, soccer and even
wrestling were in. Modesty was out, “sexy” was in. Homemaking skills were out,
climbing the corporate ladder was in.
The competition was on! Being equal, we
were told, meant “being the same.” So that girls might be treated the same as
boys, comprehensive sex education began as early as kindergarten in coed
classrooms. In fact, everything became coed: college dorms, military ships, and
even some public restrooms.
But, something stood in the way of complete
“equality”. Only women can become pregnant. Abortion became necessary to
enable a woman’s body to become more like a man’s. The Supreme Court decision
of Roe v. Wade appeared to accomplish this feat. With legalized
abortion, women were declared sexually, reproductively, and
responsibility-free!
Women my age and younger have certainly been
more free, but I am convinced that we are also less respected, less content,
less safe. The experiment discouraged men from practicing chivalry and
responsibility. I invite you to come to your own conclusion by answering these
questions:
If boys will be boys, and girls will be
boys, then what? Who will be the lady that brings out the best in a
gentleman? Who will be the wife, mother, and maker of the home? Who will bear
and nurture life? Who will be the Biblical pillar for the man? What will
happen to relationships – courtship, marriage, and family? What will become of
posterity? What consequences will the next generation bear?
Being “equal,” according to modern
feminists, means that girls have the “right” to do “anything a boy can do.”
Boys wrestle, so can girls. Boys serve in combat, so can girls. I’ve heard it
said time and again: “Girls can do whatever boys can do!” Very few stop to ask:
“But should they?”
Loud and angry feminists may have had their
way; they may have even thought they overcame the one obstacle to true
“equality;” nevertheless, the entire experiment failed miserably. That’s what
happens when we rebel against God’s good plan for life.
God did not say that He created male and
female to be the same. He said that He created them at different times,
in different ways, and for different purposes. (Gen. 2:7, 15-17,
18-22) God did not say that men and women can live their lives any way they
pleased. He said that some choices are wrong (resulting in painful
consequences) and other choices are right (resulting in blessings of life).
(Deut. 30:19-20) God did not say that His is a world of chaos.
He said
that design and order lead to a future of hope for individuals, families, and
society. (Jer. 29:11) Because He is completely fair and just, God
warned against evil and the consequences that will surely follow. Abortion of
children and the pain it causes mothers, fathers, and society is one of those
consequences.
But when did God say all of this? I have
noted that we Christians may seek answers to life’s difficult problems in the
Word, but we are guilty of going only so far. The answers to the following
questions are all found in the very first verses of Genesis (before sin
distorted God’s perfect design) –
-
What does it mean to be
human?
-
What is man?
-
What is woman?
-
Are the roles of men and women
competitive or complimentary?
-
What is our relationship to God?
-
How shall we live?
Adam and Eve made a choice. Some might say that theirs as an act of “pro-choice.”
I think, however, that it was a poor choice. Their poor choice proves
that the decision or action of one person can affect dozens, hundreds, and, in
this case, generations of other people. We’ve all been suffering the
consequences of sin ever since. Satan is delighted. He knows that, in chaos,
human life is at risk.
But, God did not throw up His hands. He did
not say, “My plan did not work so I’m finished with My creation!” God’s plan
was so “out of this world” that it included salvation! God loves us with such
amazing grace that He sent a Savior in Jesus Christ – true God and true man.
Jesus lived on earth, suffered on the Cross, paid the full price for every sin,
and won victory over Satan and death. God’s plan has not failed. Quite the
opposite is true. God’s plan saved you, me, and all who confess their daily
sins and believe in the power of Jesus for personal salvation. God so loves us
that He continues to provide order and direction for boys and girls, men and
women.
This is why I’ve been excitedly leading
small groups of women in quiet, thoughtful, and encouraging studies based on
Titus 2. God gives instructions to His people about how they should live
throughout Scripture, but the model of instruction in Titus is gender specific.
God’s Words through St. Paul to Titus speak to men and women separately. Older
men are to mentor younger men; older women are to mentor younger women. The
model for women (2:3-5) is a powerful way to show other women God’s design for
living --
Tell older women to live their lives
in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or
addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue. In this way they will teach
young women to show love to their husbands and children, to use good judgment,
and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers,
to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands’ authority. Then no
one can speak evil of God’s Word. (2:3-5) (Note: Titus 2:2, 6-8 speaks
to men.)
I have been told that these words from God
in Titus are unpopular, especially among women. That may be. Nevertheless, the
woman (or man) who tries to follow God’s model for mentoring found in Titus 2
will begin to transform the culture. A weakened culture can be repaired when we
know what God says, trust it, and apply it in our daily living.
The ideal setting for a “Titus 2 Tea” is the
home. There, in a place of safety, we meet for a morning of history,
story-telling, and Bible study. A great deal of encouragement and hope is
offered during discussion and time of fellowship. My favorite opportunity,
however, comes during a “Titus 2 Retreat” when women have the quiet of evening
to reflect on God’s Word before resuming study and discussion the next morning.
Titus 2 is a model that leads out of chaos
to a future of hope. Chaos results when we allow ourselves to be influenced by
ungodly ideas which include evolution, modern sex education, abortion, “my
rights,” strong over the weak, cohabitation, “equal means being the same,” and
rejection of the role of wife, mother, and homemaker. Hope comes when we
confess our lack of trust in God’s Word, admit our wrong choices, and fall to
our knees where Jesus reaches down to pick us up – forgiven and set free to live
new lives!
Titus 2 does more than give us a model for mentoring and instruction. It
explains the promise of God’s blessings to those who use this model in their
families and communities --
God’s saving kindness has
appeared for the benefit of all people. It trains us to avoid ungodly lives
filled with worldly desires so that we can live self-controlled, moral, and
godly lives in this present world. At the same time we can expect what we hope
for – the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He
gave Himself for us to set us free from every sin and to cleanse us so that we
can be His special people who are enthusiastic about doing good things (3:11-14 –
GOD’S WORD translation)
Men and women who live life according to their own ideas make plans, but these
plans may lead to experiments that fail and lives that are wounded. God’s Word
is not an experiment. God’s ideas never fail.
God’s Word – from beginning to end – is filled with promise!
There is nothing else that I could share with any other woman – younger or older
– that would be more loving, instructive, or life-changing! Titus 2 is but one
of God’s many Words which lead both women and men out of chaos and toward a
future of hope!
