THE KISS: Designed for His Glory

OPINION PIECE:

Last year I took a class that was heavily drenched in feminism.  This class was blessing in that in motivated me to deeply dig into the scriptures and challenge the biblical views of gender roles.  I was nowhere near a feminist, but I did often question why women were only to be helpers and not leaders, and is it wrong for women to lead in career positions? These were just two of thousands of questions I studied and examined in the bible last year.

After studying the Word of God intensely, and praying for understanding about the gender roles, there is no doubt in my mind that God made men to lead and women to follow.  Men protect, women nurture.  Men want respect, women want love.  Men have a deep longing inside them for adventure and leadership, while women have the desire to be pursued and loved.

I would be more than happy to explain in full why I believe this and what God's word has to say about it, but right now I ask that you just take my word for it as I explain something else.  My professor last semester would deny every reason for men to lead and women to follow, she claimed that the way we do things is just learned social behavior, not nature.  HOWEVER, I would like to make just one of many points just for the sake of it.  

To say our gender roles are not of nature is wrong.  To say the stereotypes of men and women are not the will of God is untrue.  If it is learned behavior we would have to practice it right?  Well let me show you one major point I have noticed lately...The kiss. 

Okay, so don't think this is weird until you hear me out.  But think about every Hollywood movie you've ever seen that has that classic scene when the two main characters realize they DO love each other and they ARE in fact, deeply deeply in love (or so they say.)  Remember what happens?  They stand five inches from each other, lock their gaze into each other's eyes, and boldly exchange dramatic, sometimes cheesy, but always memorable dialogue...and then...THE KISS!

 He grabs her face with his hands, cupping her cheeks, and she throws her arms around his neck and then...she melts.  You know, "The melt."  The part when the woman finally becomes beautiful and vulnerable in the arms of a man.  All of her powerful, independent, and strong facade if laid down, and she becomes an icon of beauty because she is finally at peace with this man leading her.

On the other side, the man is bold, strong, and sturdy.  He does not whimper, step back, or melt--no he is there because he knows exactly what he wants and he is willing to fight for it--better yet, he is fighting for it, for her.  

Think back to your elementary days on the playground.  Most of us definitely remember playing princess, house, tea party, or anything amazing to young girls.  The guys played "wrestle?", football, ninjas, and who knows what else, but does anyone..anyone at all remember being taught how to melt?? 

This is purely and divinely one of the beauties God has created to remind us of his sovereign love and design.  He has absolutely everything  under control.  He knows that a man's finest moment is when he steps up to the plate and actively pursues the woman and children he loves.  He knows that a woman is most beautiful when she is completely at rest--not controlling or planning or analyzing anything.  He knows that she gets this way when a man steps up, and he knows that a man steps up when the woman invites him too.

He knows this because he designed us this way.  His plans are forever, faithful, and unchanging.  He intricately and perfectly designed every aspect of our lives to give him glory one way or another--even when we can't see it!  

Something as small as a dandelion, or as dramatic as a kiss, everything was made to give God glory.  Keep in mind, the reason everything doesn't always glorify Him is because sin entered the world and messed things up a bit.  But when relationships, gender roles, college plans, deaths, major changes, and whatever else happens, and your focus is God, and God alone--He will indeed be glorified as He intended to be.

Next time you see a beautiful Hollywood kiss, let it be a reminder to you that God has a plan and He will work it out.  No matter what you are going through, it will result in his glory in the end. :)

Romans 1:20

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Let God be God.  He's got this. ;)