When you think of a strong, powerful, worthy woman, what do you think of? In the beginning God created man. But God saw that man was lacking something… someone. God then created woman from man, and thus began a beautiful love story that has continued through generations until now. God knew that Adam needed Eve.

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18

Even from the very start we see two distinct roles given to man and woman. Man was created to lead. Woman was created to help. They complete one another. Things have not changed. Things have not changed because God knew then and knows now that His creations have true joy and purpose when they fulfill the roles that they were created to fulfill. He, our Creator, knows full-well that we, through our roles, complete one another.

So I ask you again: when you think of a strong, powerful, worthy woman- what do you think of? I fear that today we see women imitating men and think that they have truly attained worth and strength. We see women pushing men into the role of coward and we think somehow that this makes those of our gender more powerful.

The truth is, women cannot fill the role of leader. Women are helpers. It’s just a matter of helping well or helping badly. Men cannot fill the role of helper. They lead well or they lead badly, but they always lead. So what we have in our society is an excess of worthless leaders and failure helpers.

Are you helping the men in your life lead well? You cannot strip them of their role, because it was placed within them by God. If you are not helping them lead, you are failing at your role of helper and becoming a weak woman rather than a strong one. Women who spend their lives seeking to be what they are not– men– are weak in their purpose. We wonder where all the real mean are as we trample them in our goal of becoming what they should be.

The role of helper is most clearly seen in the marriage relationship when a woman becomes a helpmeet to her husband. But I believe that if God created women to be helpers, we have that responsibility in all stages of life. The role of helpmeet to a husband is a specific and special role– different from that of helper to anyone else. But that does not mean that outside of marriage women are not to excel at helping those around them. When we choose to serve ourselves as unmarried women, perhaps attaining male-like character qualities, we miss out on what God has in store for us as women. He knows the innermost desires of our hearts and He has set before us a path where we can truly attain honor and glory through our service, and through our help to the men in our lives. I would like to state very clearly that even women who remain unmarried their entire lives should never be made to feel that they must fill a more masculine role to have worth. A lifestyle of godly femininity is something all women should seek.

It really doesn’t matter what you or I think, or how we see women. What matters is how God sees us. Are we pleasing Him? Do we understand the role He has set before us and are we striving to do His will? Or are we giving into the lies of the world and forgetting why we were created? God said that He was creating a helpmeet suitable for man. And we, women, were designed to be that helpmeet. What can I do today to encourage the men in my church? How can I make sure my brother knows I support Him as he becomes a leader? Does my dad understand how much I appreciate his protection and leadership? How can I help them become even better men? Do I envy their role, or do I rejoice in the fact that God has placed good men in my life? If there are men in my life who are not leading well, do I try to steal their role or do I seek to encourage them to be better? Do I spend my life trying to be a man through my endeavors, or do I cherish the role God created me for?

Let us love and support and honor the men we have been blessed with. Let us spur them on in their role of leadership. Let us seek to raise up more Godly men. Let us do all of this instead of trying, and failing, to become men ourselves. Let’s stop asking, “Where are all of the real men?” while we forsake our role of becoming real women. I hope we will embrace the job God gave us to do and pursue true womanhood. This is how we become strong, powerful, and worthy in His eyes.

By Miranda Trujillo
Miranda Trujillo is a 20-year old homeschool graduate and preacher’s kid. She attends Pleasant Valley church of Christ– the church building was her playground growing up. She loves gardening, mixing up herbal potions, feeding middle schoolers (as a lunch lady), blogging and enjoying her family life in the beautiful Pleasant Valley– Bellvue, Colorado.