This is a powerful and perhaps controversial look at how women can understand what is true femininity. Using the Bible, not personal opinion or cultural mores, we discover what true female strength looks like, and how women can begin to appreciate their creative difference.
6. ““The Paradox of Declining FemaleThe Paradox of Declining Female
Happiness”Happiness”
http://www.nber.org/papers/w14969http://www.nber.org/papers/w14969
7. ““Given these shifts of rights andGiven these shifts of rights and
bargaining power from men to womenbargaining power from men to women
over the past 35 years, holding all elseover the past 35 years, holding all else
equal, we might expect to see aequal, we might expect to see a
concurrent shift in happiness towardconcurrent shift in happiness toward
women and away from men. Yet wewomen and away from men. Yet we
document in this paper that measuresdocument in this paper that measures
8. of women’s subjective well-being haveof women’s subjective well-being have
fallen both absolutely and relatively tofallen both absolutely and relatively to
that of men… Women no longer reportthat of men… Women no longer report
being happier than men and, in manybeing happier than men and, in many
instances, now report happiness thatinstances, now report happiness that
is below that of men.”is below that of men.”
9. Social and legal changes have givenSocial and legal changes have given
people more autonomy over individualpeople more autonomy over individual
and family decision making, includingand family decision making, including
rights over marriage, children born outrights over marriage, children born out
of wedlock, the use of birth control,of wedlock, the use of birth control,
abortion, and divorce… Once again,abortion, and divorce… Once again,
men may have been able tomen may have been able to
10. disproportionately benefit from thesedisproportionately benefit from these
increased opportunities: Akerlof,increased opportunities: Akerlof,
Yellen, and Katz (1996) argue thatYellen, and Katz (1996) argue that
sexual freedom offered by the birthsexual freedom offered by the birth
control pill benefited men bycontrol pill benefited men by
increasing the pressure on women toincreasing the pressure on women to
11. have sex outside of marriage andhave sex outside of marriage and
reducing their bargaining power over areducing their bargaining power over a
shotgun marriage in the face of anshotgun marriage in the face of an
unwanted pregnancy.”unwanted pregnancy.”
12. Dislodging women from the roles theyDislodging women from the roles they
were created for has strained andwere created for has strained and
stressed their very nature.stressed their very nature.
13. Likewise, wives, be subject to yourLikewise, wives, be subject to your
own husbands, so that even if some doown husbands, so that even if some do
not obey the word, they may be wonnot obey the word, they may be won
without a word by the conduct of theirwithout a word by the conduct of their
wives, when they see your respectfulwives, when they see your respectful
and pure conduct.and pure conduct.
14. Do not let your adorning be external—Do not let your adorning be external—
the braiding of hair and the putting onthe braiding of hair and the putting on
of gold jewelry, or the clothing youof gold jewelry, or the clothing you
wear—wear— but let your adorning be thebut let your adorning be the
hidden person of the hearthidden person of the heart with thewith the
15. imperishable beauty of a gentle andimperishable beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which in God’s sight isquiet spirit, which in God’s sight is
very precious.very precious.
- 1 Peter 3:1-4- 1 Peter 3:1-4
16. Femininity looks like:Femininity looks like:
1) Respectful and pure conduct1) Respectful and pure conduct
2) Gentle and quiet spirit2) Gentle and quiet spirit
18. ““At the heart of mature femininity is aAt the heart of mature femininity is a
freeing disposition to affirm, receivefreeing disposition to affirm, receive
and nurture strength and leadershipand nurture strength and leadership
from worthy men in ways appropriatefrom worthy men in ways appropriate
to a woman’s differing relationships.”to a woman’s differing relationships.”
- John Piper- John Piper
19. Femininity looks like:Femininity looks like:
1) Respectful and pure conduct1) Respectful and pure conduct
2) Gentle and quiet spirit2) Gentle and quiet spirit
20. Do not let your adorning be external—Do not let your adorning be external—
the braiding of hair and the putting onthe braiding of hair and the putting on
of gold jewelry, or the clothing youof gold jewelry, or the clothing you
wear—wear— but let your adorning be thebut let your adorning be the
hidden person of the hearthidden person of the heart with thewith the
21. ““I believe in you; I believe that you areI believe in you; I believe that you are
capable of providing for our family,capable of providing for our family,
that you are strong enough to protectthat you are strong enough to protect
me, and I trust your loving leadershipme, and I trust your loving leadership
of our home.”of our home.”
