Sometimes it breaks my heart to talk to women in the church who feel they are less important or less loved than their male counterparts. One day it was a young woman named Jan who was voicing her frustration.
I sat across the lunch table picking at a salad and trying to digest Jan’s words. Her startlingly teal eyes were tinted with frustration at God, primarily because of how she perceived He felt about women.
“I don’t understand God. It seems like He is against women. All through the Bible I see how God used men in mighty ways.
“Abraham, Moses, David, you name it; it is always the men. And polygamy. How could God allow that? Today, there’s so much abuse toward women. Where’s God in all that? There are so many inequalities and injustices between how men are treated and how women are treated. I think the bottom line is that God just doesn’t like women.”
We had a long chat and I shared with Jan what I had discovered on my journey to answer some of those same questions.
As I studied the Bible, I was struck by Jesus’ radical relationship with the women whose lives intersected with His during those thirty-three years He walked this earth. He crossed man-made social, political, racial, and gender boundaries and addressed women with the respect due co-image bearers of God. The God-made man broke the man-made rules to set women free. Every time Jesus encountered a woman, He broke one of the societal rules of His day.
God created women as co-image bearers of Himself (Genesis 1:27). But a lot changed between the Garden of Eden and Garden of Gethsemane. By the time Jesus made his first cry in Bethlehem, women lived in the shadows.
- Women weren’t counted as people (aka the feeding of 5,000 men),
- Women couldn’t speak to men in public.
- Women weren’t allowed to worship with the men.
- Women couldn’t sit under a Rabbi’s teaching.
- Women couldn’t testify in court.
- Women were divorced for any reason at all.
- Women had no legal rights.
But Jesus came to change all that. He didn’t speak out about the injustice; He simply went about His ministry ignoring the man-made rules.
He taught in places where women would be present: on a hillside, along the streets, in the marketplace, by a river, beside a well, and in the women’s area of the temple.
- Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. It was the longest recorded conversation he had with any one person. She was the first person He told that He was the Messiah. (John 4:1-30)
- Jesus welcomed Mary of Bethany into the classroom to sit at His feet to learn. (Luke 10:38-42)
- Jesus invited Mary Magdalene to join His ministry team. (Luke 8:1-3)
- Jesus encourage the woman healed from 12 years of bleeding to testify in the presence of all the people what God had done for her. (Luke 8:42-48)
- Jesus welcomed the sinful woman into a room full of men as she anointed his feet with perfume. (Luke 7:363-50)
- Jesus entrusted the most important message in all of history to Mary Magdalene and told her to go and tell the Apostles that He had risen from the dead. (John 20:11-18)
Jesus was willing to risk His reputation to save theirs. He delivered women from diseases and set them free from spiritual darkness. He took the fearful and forgotten and transformed them into the faithful and forever remembered. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:13)
And now that brings me to you and to me. Never, dear one, doubt your value as a woman. You were God’s grand finale of all creation. Once He fashioned woman, He was done!
Paul wrote: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NIV). You are never less-than as a woman. And Jesus was willing to break the rules to prove it.
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that You value me, as a woman. Thank You for all Jesus did to show honor and respect to women during a very dark time in history. Help me never doubt that You have fashioned me with a purpose and a plan—to be Your image bearer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus broke cultural rules to honor women…to honor you? Leave a comment and let’s celebrate!
Digging Deeper
Let’s dig deeper into Scripture and discover what God really thinks about women. I can tell you now…it’s good. NEVER LESS THAN: Living Esteemed, Empowered, and Equipped When the World Tells You Otherwise. Is a great study to start your new year off right. Sit by the well with the Samaritan woman, walk into the room with the woman who anointed Jesus feet, and link arms with other women of the New Testament to see how Jesus broke the cultural rules to set them free…to set you free! This is a message that you, your daughters, and granddaughters need to hear.
There’s still time get your copy of Praying for Your Child from Head to Toe: 
A 30-Day Guide to Powerful and Effective Scripture-Based Prayer for Christmas. This beautiful book makes a wonderful gift!
© 2023 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.
Comments 33
Wow! “And now that brings me to you and to me. Never, dear one, doubt your value as a woman. You were God’s grand finale of all creation. Once He fashioned woman, He was done!”-Sharon Jaynes
That was so powerful to me-I am so encouraged as I start my day! To God Be The Glory, Thank You So Much for this Encouraging Word, God makes no mistakes, He is Intentional!!!Peace and Blessings to All In The Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ!!!!
So uplifting seeing into the Word. Lord give us eyesalve!
Thank you for your message. God bless you, I always wonder though, if Jesus had spoken up, about it and addressed it, wouldn’t we have been freed from so much of the prejudice?
I am not an editor, but for some reason I have a knack for catching “edity” type things.
The statement towards the end of the lesson, the one that starts with Never less than, I believe has a typo.
It reads “…when the word tells you otherwise.” And I think the word “word” was probably meant to be “world”.
Author
Yikes! Thanks I just changed it.
This is such a blessing to me this morning. Thank you God bless
I thank God for all you have done through him to help women all over with the beautiful faith God as giving you to share with us . May he continue to bless you and all of us
I feel fearfully and wonderfully made knowing Jesus values me entirely and equally with everyone else.
Psalm 139:13-14
Author
Yes you are!
Thanks
THANK YOU for saying this Sharon. I am a feminist who is a devout believer in Jesus. There are so many things in the Bible that bother me . There are things that I cannot accept as a woman. Number one is in Genesis. After the fall, God says that now Men will rule over women. I can’t see God cursing women with oppression and persecution by men throughout history. I think of it more as a natural consequence of the breakdown of the relationship between men and women after original sin. Will somebody speak to me about this??
Author
I do address that in the book. There’s so much in it that explains how we got in this fix. Fun fact. 4 women listed in the genealogy of Jesus. That was a first!
Thank you, Sharon! God absolutely used you in my life this morning through this message.
God bless you!
This has indeed been a blessing,thank you for speaking and encouraging us, women
Thank you! I believe Jesus loved women. He knows what’s in our hearts.
Both women and men need to be given a NEW heart in Christ; women do not have better hearts – Jeremiah let’s us know this in chapter 17 vs
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
In Ezekiel 36 God says
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
The heart of Christ and the Holy Spirit come as a result of salvation.
There’s nothing Less Than better waking up to something so reassuring to hear this message I read today.
As of February 14, 2018, I myself was saved from a powerless life as I thought it would for ever take over me… I knew who Jesus was, but I took a wrong path to where I forgot who He was and how much he loved me. When I took that first step, I felt in my heart it would lead me to the second step and the third step and the fourth step. That’s all we have to take is that first step of knowing who he is to us, it will lead us up the stairs to redemption. His love for us will never fail!
Proverbs31Women:
I speak to many women to let them know that they are far more than less than worthy. A rare Ruby jewel..
Author
Oh I love your comment!amen!
Amen!!
Being a Native American Woman. We are viewed as “The Backbone of the Family.” We are Everything that we need to be as a Mother “Woman” of the Family!
Our Strength,Wisdom and Bearer of Our Children gives us what our Creator “God” wants Us To Be.
Because all the Trials and Tribulations We Endure… God has Never Underestimate Us.
To God be the glory!! Thank you for the encouragement! God bless you!
Thank you, Sharon, for this important message. I can’t wait to read your book on the subject. I am really hoping that you address 1 Timothy 2. Since Timothy was a new young pastor, Paul was sharing with him things he had learned about running a church. Many churches follow these words today. The problem I have with it is that I believe that this letter is a guide for TIMOTHY in the culture in which they lived. Women were very much a distraction and many had come to use their bodies and the power of their husbands to gain attention for themselves. Paul tells Timothy what HE allows–things that have worked for HIM. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the Bible that the writer exhorts readers in the first person. He says, “*I* also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. *I* do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. ” (1 Timothy 2:9-12 Emphasis added)
I don’t think for a minute that God is saying that women should dress modestly but men don’t have to. I think this is put there because there was (and still is) an issue with women being too provocative in their dress. I don’t think God is saying that only women should be quiet and learn or that only women should do good deeds appropriate for those who worship God. The church was the governing body as far as conduct in many cases, so I think Paul was just trying to create a semblance of order according to the culture of the day. He never says that GOD doesn’t allow women to teach or talk. He says “I” don’t allow it.
Maybe my interpretations are all wet. What do you think, Sharon?
Author
I think you will love the book. We have to remember that women were not allowed to sit under a Rabbi’s teaching before the Christian church. This was all new them. Of course women did speak. Phillips 4 daughters had the gift of prophecy. There are two very strong camps on both sides of this passage. Let’s don’t let it trip us up. Let’s look at what Jesus said and did. Then when we get to heaven we can all get clarity!
I think Paul was speaking to the culture of that time. The women were new converts to Christianity, Many women at that time were coming from the Greek culture where there they grew up in a pagan culture. Pagan cults were prevalent with occult practices. ” many were used to wild rites,festivals.” Some of the behaviors , styles of dress, hairstyles originated from the pagan temple of worship in Ephesus , where the temple of Diana (Artemis) was located.The women of that culture brought those practices with them into the new church.
Many of the 21st century churches of today represent the culture of the society we live in
Dressing casually even the latest trends jeans with holes tee shirts. men wearing caps , women wearing revealing dress style is reflecting the current culture of the world.
Paul, I believe was giving guidelines to Timothy for worship for that time in history.
Today there seems to be a lack of guidelines for church behaviors. The western culture has given us much freedom. We are also free in Christ. Freedom without restraint responsibility, Godly wisdom I believe leads to confusion, conflict and chaos
“God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all churches of the Saints.”
Just my thoughts on Paul ‘s instructions to Timothy.
Author
I’m so thankful that we live in a time where someone in holey jeans and t-shirt feels welcome in church!
Let’s me know Jesus values me when I feel family doesn’t. Jesus is who we should please first in our lives
Thank you Jesus What a Savior!
Thank you for this wonderful message! I know I often have struggled how Jesus sees me and from reading the Bible how women were often treated during biblical times. I know there are some gray areas as well, but like you said Sharon, when we get to heaven, we will have clarity. But I believe even being a woman, that Jesus doesn’t look at anything but my heart, and the Love I have there for Him and in turn Love for others! God Bless you all my sisters in Christ!
Thank you, Sharon! Great message! I’m reminded that as I read my daily scriptures and spent time with my Lord and Savior, Jesus, He continually tells me, ‘I’m His beloved. I’m loved.’ Why would I question that….?
I like the fact that Jesus did not directly rebuke the cutural behaviours but just went about His work including women in it. This made even people of old realise the importance of women in society. It also teaches me that when I am faced with a situation that is deep rooted, I should just do the right thing without fighting anyone and in turn people will learn to do right. I proud to say that at creation, god saved the best for last. I am God’s good creation.
Thank you Sharon, I appreciate your message so much.
I often wonder about truth in the bible that I don’t understand. Such as the subjuct of the men in biblical times having more than one wife or numerous concubines. I understand that when a woman couldn’t provide for herself, oftentimes a man would make her a part of his household as one of his his concubines and she would be safe and protected. The concept is something that my mind struggles to accept when I come to these verses.
I imagine the jealousies and dissentions that flowed between many of the wives.
I know there are so many things in the bible that we don’t understand at this time, and someday all will be revealed.
Author
This we can know for sure. That was never God’s intent.
Thank you so much Sharon,
This is a much-needed message, we as woman are valued, important, and encouragers of the heart.
We have to remember to access our faith, and not disbelief, it’s an error. We are stronger in the living word, as our daily event. We are so Blessed!
Juselda
December 11, 2023 At 6:44 pm
Thank you Sharon for reminding me that I’m God’s Master Piece on He is Proud of who I am
What a beautifully written reminder! Thank you!