Yet, looking in to nowadays' world, most of the married women in HK claim that they could only afford to give birth to one child or even refuse to have children. They have given up their previlaged and blessed role. Moreover, women tend to step in to Adam's pie of leading role to fulfilling their balance of the missed role.
I personally see "leading role" is a role for present while "childbearing role" is a role for future, with which they are inter-dependant to each other and cannot be missed. Recap the above trend in Hong Kong, it sounds that human beings are depreciating or neglecting their future, do they? What's in their mind?
And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." . . . Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 3:16-17 )
What are the roles of a helper? I could think of:
- supplementing the main player to completing a dream, a goal or a job;
- being besides the main player and able to recognize the needs of the main player;
- being designated certain portion of jobs as part of the overall rundown structured by the main player;
- the accumulated experience and knowledge enable the helper to give supportive suggestions and risk protective measures to the main player;
- being recognized and confirmed on her role play in contribution to the overall dream, goal or job;
- being respected as one of the team players.
Then, how should be the attitude of a helper:
- as Ephesians 5:25-29, 33 plainly shows, Christian men must no longer "rule over" their wives. Loving authority is not domineering or despotic, but humble, caring, gentle, kind, and patient. In the same vein, Christian women should submit to and respect their husbands (verses 22-24, 33). Submission is not manipulative or grudging, but done in faith, respect, and humility.
W. E. Vine, in his Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, agrees, writing that it "impl[ies] the duties of motherhood" (p. 190). The Twentieth Century New Testament translates this clause, "But women will find their salvation in motherhood."
Paul's exhortation aims to bring marriage and family back to what God intended of men and women before Adam and Eve's sin. Just as God will judge men according to how well they fulfill their roles as husbands (leaders) and teachers, so He will judge women by their performance as wives and mothers. Since salvation, particularly the period of sanctification, is a process that covers our entire converted lifetimes, how well we fulfill our God-given responsibilities within our families will make a difference in God's judgment. Paul says we must perform these duties in faith, love, holiness, and self-control—just as we must do everything else in our Christian lives.
Well, God will judge and reward a woman according to her growth as a Christian within her appointed sphere of influence: her family (as wife and mother). God Himself has drawn the lines between the sexes, and we should do our best to fulfill our roles with excellence, not rebellion or complaint.
I, then, ask myself:- How do you define the success of your life being a woman?
- How do you envision the outcome of your defined success factors?
- Is that the road map you would like to see about your life?
- If you could fine tune this map, where do you want to have the change(s)?
- Are you fulfilling God's blessed role to you - childchearing and being a helper?
- If yes, what are the areas that you are doing right and good? How could you raise your standard of those areas?
- If no, what is holding you back? How would you like to help yourself to remove the blockage? or do you need any support and where?
I learned more in Gentleness and Women (added later)
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