CCT 28-1_LR

the word applied

« TED CUNNINGHAM, MACE

Celebrating Created Differences in the Home

C all me old-fashioned, but I want chivalry to make a comeback. I think men should open doors for women, and a husband should offer his coat to his wife when she is cold. The man should be the first to investigate strange noises around the house at night and the last one to bed after ensuring all the windows and doors are locked. My parents taught me chivalry, and I passed it on to my children. We taught our son how to treat women and our daughter how a woman should be treated. Our home honors and celebrates the gender differences as created by Almighty God. We raised our children to embrace their biological sex and marry the opposite sex. There is a great deal of confu sion today about gender, sex, and sexuality. From men competing in women’s sports to people choosing their preferred pronouns, many have abandoned God’s design for men and women. In doing so, we dishonor God, men, and women. As parents, we must stand against the devil’s evil schemes and teach our children the incredible worth of men and women and their differences as part of your family discipleship plan. Jesus clears up any confusion we might have on gender in His answer to the Pharisees’ question about marriage and divorce: “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’” (Matthew 19:4, NIV). In quoting Genesis 1:27 (NIV) and the imago Dei, Jesus declared that “… male and female He (God) created them.” God created two genders. He doesn’t need our help establishing or defining them.

I am a pastor, husband, and father who refuses to blur the line between male and female. Celebrating the created differences between men and women honors the image of God. As a man, I am wired to express facts and solutions. My wife is better at under standing and expressing emotions. These differences make us a great team. She wants me to take the lead at the airport when our flight cancels. I

need her to help me better understand my children when they have a bad day. As teammates, we help each other win. Our differences unite us. Some marriage experts believe it is unhealthy to stereotype men and women when we speak about our dif ferences. While that may be true in some cases, let’s not let the pendulum swing too far and stop celebrating our differences altogether.

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christian counseling today VOL. 28 NO. 1