Daring to go where no man should!

It is Thursday, September 24, 2009, and by now, those of you who read my blog should know that I do subscribe to the Yogism (Sayings attributed to Yogi Berra, famous hall of fame catcher for the New York Yankees.) that says: “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Therefore, I am a confessed observer of subjects flying here and there, and everywhere, and where they will land no one knows. A couple of weeks ago a huge study was published with results from the survey of some 12,000 women in 21 countries. The bottom line finding: Women have been and continue to be unhappy. Are you telling me that with all the push for women’s rights, pay equality, and the emphasis on liberation, that women are still unhappy? They sure are and from what I read many more women are unhappy about being unhappy. The survey pointed out that much progress has been made in all the categories mentioned but with all of these freedoms and progress it has not equated to happiness. Maybe it’s the poverty class in poor countries that caused this outcome. Not so, more unhappy women exist in America, England, and all of the other modern nations. Now comes the drum roll because here’s where the assessment begins to get interesting: WHY?

The major area blamed? You guessed it: MEN! Most analyses of these sad statistics say men have adapted to the women’s movement and taken advantage of it to feed their own needs, because recent studies show that men are feeling happier at this time. I, by the way, did not see even one sentence devoted to what God has to say about men and women and how He defines fulfillment for His created human family. The survey indicated that at one time it was thought that men were shirking any help in the doing of household chores and maybe that was a big reason for this unhappiness. Wrong again because they found this has been greatly improved but still we have women as a whole feeling unhappy. The experts surmise that women now have financial means but also carry increased financial expectations and responsibilities. They have more freedoms to become leaders and managers but also now have the stress induced physical issues that come with the territory.

Let’s face facts, the blame game has been around since Genesis. Adam blamed Eve for enticing him to eat of the fruit and Eve was the first to say: “The devil made me do it.” I know you thought Flip Wilson coined that phrase but he was way late on this one. What do I think is the cause of this unhappiness found in women? My first thought is a back to the Bible to find the answer to this question along with any and all other questions that challenge our modern intelligence. What does God have to say about gender distinctions? What has He provided in terms of templates and blueprints for roles and responsibilities as it relates to men, women, boys and girls? I can tell you He has devoted many pages of inspired insight into how the human family should function and it is always when we conform to His word that we find true happiness. It produces a happiness defined by our fit into His plan and purpose and one that brings Him honor and glory. A word to the so-called experts: You completely left out any reference to the Owner’s manual, called the Holy Bible! They, and we, should read it again, for the first time! Amen. …..More later.