Christian Womanhood in Today’s World.
Christian womanhood can be a controversial topic in today’s world because many have their own opinions as to what they think it should look like. Often you hear it referred to as biblical womanhood instead. But in order to fully understand what true Christian womanhood should look like in today’s world, you have to first understand the difference between using the words Christian vs. Biblical, retrain your brain around lies society has taught about Christian women, and then you can begin to confidently implement new habits, boundaries, and fully embrace the role of Christian womanhood in your life. I say confidently because without this first understanding, it’ll be easy to doubt yourself, quicker to fall into temptation, and harder to remain steadfast when facing adversity.
There is a distinct difference between Christian womanhood and biblical womanhood: tradition. Seeking biblical womanhood is great, but it’s only part of what you should be seeking. In Eastern Orthodoxy, we believe the Bible to be true, we follow and read the Bible, but it’s not the entire encapsulation of the truth. The Bible wasn’t compiled until three hundred years after the apostles founded the Church. Before the Bible, all we had to rely on was tradition. And in the church, those traditions remained the same with every church and priest preaching God’s Word, but without the Word actually written down. Yet we knew the prayers, we knew how to partake in the Eucharist, and we knew how to worship God. Christian womanhood needs to embrace those traditions along with the written Bible. In Christian womanhood, keeping these traditions may look like preparing fast friendly meals for your family, guiding your children through prayer in your icon corner, staying home for forty days after giving birth to focus on bonding with your baby and healing, and showing your child how to cross their arms while waiting to receive the Eucharist. These traditions, though not explicitly explained in the Bible, remain very important to Christian womanhood even through they’re not laid out in the Bible.
After knowing why you should be seeking Christian womanhood versus Biblical womanhood, it’s time to retrain your brain to the societal lies and warped teachings of Christianity and women. One of the most controversial topics I see in social media about Christian women is whether or not they should speak out about a sin or wrong or remain quiet and practice discernment. I’m here to tell you that according to tradition and scripture, women should do both. There are many moments in life when we should hold our tongues and practice discernment because speaking a word wouldn’t do any good and it’s not our job to change someone. We can plant seeds of truth for sure, but only God can change someone’s heart. However, we as Christian women should also never feel like we can’t speak up too. But it’s a line we must tow. There’s a difference between educating and calling a sin for what it is versus judging someone for committing a sin. Only Christ can judge sins since we are all sinners. But when a trend being shared by “Christian” women on social media very clearly going against Christian values, we can humbly speak up and bring awareness to the sin. Being humble does not always mean being nice. And being kind doesn’t always mean being nice.
As Christians we are called to speak up when our brother or sister is falling from Christ. The love we share with the intentions of helping them and hopefully guiding them back onto the correct path is kindness. But the act of doing so may not be perceived as niceness. And that’s okay. Christ came to the world to save all sinners. Every one of us. But His coming didn’t bring peace to Earth and won’t. Because Earth isn’t our forever home, Heaven is our eternal kingdom. Christ states, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”, Matthew 10:34. And the Orthodox Study Bible, Ancient Faith Edition writes in reference to that scripture, “Just before His most violent death of the Cross, Christ promised peace to His disciples. But the existence of evil necessitates spiritual warfare. The earth to which Christ came was under the authority of Satan. It is therefore essential that Christ wage war against the leader of vice with weapons of virtue.”
I saw a reel today that said, “Christ WAS perfect and still people hated Him”. It’s so true. In Christian womanhood, we have to be willing to speak up about wrongs, practice discernment when necessary, stand strong in Christ, and not fear adversity because as Christian women, we absolutely will face adversity and temptations just as anyone else. Satan hates Christians, so he will try even harder to tempt us women into turning away from Christ. As Christian women, we can remain kind without having to be nice, we can love others while maintaining boundaries, we can bring awareness to sins without judging those sins, and we can face
criticism, hate, and adversity without lacking in our faith and love of God.
Once you decide to embrace Christian traditions and scripture and you can see the societal lies for what they are, knowing the truths of being a Christian woman, then you can confidently begin implementing new habits, maintain healthy boundaries, and remain steadfast in Christian womanhood in today’s world. These new habits may look like prioritizing prayer, avoiding the temptation of gossip, seeking simplicity over worldly desires, and constantly repenting to become more Christ-like in our sinful world. Maintaining healthy boundaries can look like cutting ties with family members who refuse to respect your beliefs but loving them from afar, being disciplined with your schedule to honor God with your time, and remaining friends with those of different beliefs without participating in their beliefs.
Today’s world can be terrifying. It’s full of sin, hate, and fear. Churches are teaching different theologies that forget the truths Christ taught. Christian’s are accepting societal progression and changing to please culture rather than remaining true to God’s word. Christianity seems to be the only religion that is continuously persecuted, made fun of, and criticized with very little done about it. Christian families are attacked and accused of bigotry, raising their children in cults, and threatened that they’ll traumatize their children by teaching them about God. It’s getting harder and harder for Christian women who are moms and wives to remain true to traditional Christian values because of societal pressures and fear of criticism. But when we know the truths that God has taught us through His Word and traditions, when we can speak up without fear of adversity, and when we can maintain boundaries that stay true to our faith, then we can confidently navigate Christian womanhood in today’s world.
