IT’S NO SECRET that men and women are different. Our brains are wired differently. Men’s brains have a simpler, more linear path, while women’s brains are more complex and intertwined. Being a woman comes with its own set of complexities. I fully enjoy being a woman, but I’ve noticed that not every woman feels the same. I think part of the issue is that our culture has twisted womanhood and femininity into something weak and inferior. But I believe a bigger problem is that many women simply don’t understand their purpose.
Pink on Purpose
When a baby is born, people ask, “Is it pink or blue?” When God formed women, He wanted us to be pink—He wanted women to be women. God created women with special qualities and characteristics, and He has a specific purpose for us to fulfill. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
More and more women, including young Christian women, are adopting the attitude, “We don’t need men anymore.” I find that those who think that way don’t fully grasp their purpose as a woman. They would be proud to be pink and fulfill their role as women if they truly understood God’s design.
God created women with special qualities and characteristics, and He has a specific purpose for us to fulfill.
God Made You for More
What exactly is God’s purpose for women? Genesis chapter 2 has the answer.
GENESIS 2:18 (NLT)
18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
So often we hear that God formed man first (which is true), and women are supposed to be the helper. Oftentimes we think this means women are lesser, but that isn’t the case. God created men and women as equals.
Society has relegated the word “helper” to mean domestic roles. However, that could not be further from what God meant. The Hebrew word translated “helper” in verse 18 is ezer. Ezer means “to provide support for someone who needs help; to assist and encourage; to rescue and to be strong.” It implies great strength and helping in dire, life-threatening circumstances.
Ezer was used 21 times in the Old Testament to reference God when He helped people out of dire situations. The word God uses for woman in Genesis 2:18 is the same one He used for Himself when delivering His people. This aspect of God’s character means a vital and powerful strength as a sustainer, protector, strengthener, and helper. That doesn’t sound weak to me, and it certainly doesn’t have anything to do with domestic roles.
God created women to be an ezer-helper like Himself. He didn’t give this powerful aspect of His character to men—He gave it to women. When a woman says, “I don’t want to be a helper,” she is saying she doesn’t want God’s qualities operating in her life. I don’t know about you, but I want everything that is from God.
I encourage you to read about Queen Esther in the Book of Esther, Deborah in Judges chapter 4, and Rahab in Joshua chapter 2. They are inspirational examples of women in the Bible whom God called as ezers. These women saved whole nations and helped people fulfill their divine destiny because they walked in their God-designed purpose.
Who Are You Called to Help?
So my question to you is, who has God called you to help? It could be your family, friends, neighbors, or a group of people. You may be called to help children, the homeless, the abused, missionaries, or the sick.
If you’re married, you’re called to be a strong helper to your husband. If you have children, you are called to help them. But your role as helper goes beyond this. And if you’re single, don’t fall for the lie that you can’t be a helper until you’re married. Remember, being a helper is not about a domestic role. It means helping people.
We should be helping no matter our stage of life—single, married, divorced, or widowed—because that is the purpose of being pink. God’s plan for our lives does not change. If you are unsure about who you are called to help, a good place to start is to think about what or who makes you most passionate. What makes you smile and light up when you do it?
You will never find fulfillment in life unless you walk in your purpose as a helper. You can pursue achievements, but until you submit to the way God created you, you will always be searching for something more. You will never feel fulfilled as a woman until you start helping others.
3 Steps to Fulfilling Your Purpose
God designed women to be strong and protective. It’s in our DNA. We can’t get away from it, no matter how hard we try. I challenge you to do these three things so that you can fulfill your God-ordained role as a woman.
- Examine your life to see if you are walking in your calling to be an ezer. Are you being pink on purpose? Are you helping on purpose? Write down who you are helping right now to remind you of your purpose in this season. Your mindset should be, “I will be strong for the people I am called to help. I will encourage, support, and protect them.”
- Pray. If you feel frustrated, sad, or anxious about where you are in life, pray and ask God who you should help. You can say, “Lord, show me who I should be an ezer to. I want to walk in my calling as a woman.” Then start to take notice of where you feel the most joy.
- Give God permission to search you. Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT) says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Do you know what the opposite of an ezer-helper is? It is a woman who is discouraging, demeaning, domineering, and interfering. Ask God to reveal anything about you that offends Him. Ask Him to show you if you are being the opposite of an ezer-helper. Commit to making the changes the Lord tells you to make.
If you do these things, I guarantee that you will fulfill God’s purpose for you. And when somebody says, “Oh, you’re just a woman,” you can be confident and secure in your identity and say, “Yes, I am a woman!”
Author
Denise Hagin Burns
Share this Post