I looked at my wife that day, and I wondered, “where does she get all these energies from?” The week has been quite hectic for us ministerially and she still had to juggle her secular work with family demands. Then I came to a conclusion that, women are not weak.
“Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel…” (1 Peter 3:7). I think this scripture has not been well interpreted by a lot of people. A clearer way to interpret this scripture is to see the woman as “a delicate vessel”, not as weak or inferior as some people might think.
I once used the glass pulpit in our Church to explain this scripture. That glass pulpit is quite heavy that it sometimes needs about three people to carry it. Yet, it is “weak”. It is delicate, fragile and expensive, and as such must be handled with care. This is how God wants us to see women in our lives; your wife, daughter, sister etc. They are not weak; they are only to be handled with care.
The instruction to the man is to deal with women according to knowledge (1 Peter 3:7). Yet, many men do not heed this instruction. If you don’t know the capacity in a woman, you are bound to misuse or abuse her. The woman is so strong that God made her a help suitable for the man (Genesis 2:18). Your helper cannot be weak; such a person must be stronger than you.
When I tell folks that women are stronger than men (if we are allowed to compare, anyway), they look at me somehow. But this is true, looking at their roles and assignment in the life of men, and looking at what an average woman goes through (Proverbs 31:10-31). Most women can survive without a man, but most men cannot survive without a woman (Luke 2:36-37).
Dear man, recognize, appreciate and unlock the strength in your woman. It takes a stronger man to marry a strong woman. A woman’s strength needs to be channeled properly. She can either be given to gossip or the gospel, murmuring or intercession, building or destroying, depending who is channel her strength (Proverbs 14:1, 31:23). Dear woman, never believe that you are weak. Stop looking for gender equality, rather celebrate your unique difference and make your mark in life.
© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria