Male Oppression

The Bible, which is my ultimate authority because it is God speaking through His servants to all of mankind, says that women are to submit to their husbands. Did you know that it is pleasant to submit to a man? It is--when the man treats me as the co-heir that I am, when he treats me as his equal. 
 

However, there exist men who treat women as inferiors. They make degrading remarks about us. They say that women are useless or that they can't do anything right. There is a constant stream of negative remarks toward us and women in general. Then, when they need something, they use us to get their way. We become a piece of their property with which they can do as they wish. 

We women who fear God know that we are to submit to our husbands and brothers because the Lord commands it. So what can we do to correct a situation in which the man forgets the order of the hierarchy? For no authority is given except by God, and whatever authority is given to us is only because we are under the authority of someone greater. 

"But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ." 

1 Corinthians 11:3

Men who treat women as inferiors look down on us because they forget to look upwards at the authority of Jesus over them. They are rebelling against God when they mistreat those who are under their authority.

So what can a woman do if she is under the authority of such a man? For it is poison to the soul to have to endure this oppression. You really have to put to death your own flesh and cling super tightly to Jesus in these situations. The Bible tells us that even when we are being mistreated, we are still required by God to do what is right, to live up to His standard on our part, even when others are undeserving of it.

 

In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

1 Peter 3:1,2

It is painful to try to live up to God's standard. It means that we must continue to endure the emotional abuse. It feels so unjust. Their poison raises bile in the breast and burns away at our insides.

But God is really concerned about our negative emotions. They grieve the Holy Spirit. We know this because the verse that speaks of grieving the HS in us is in the context of negative emotions and actions. 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Ephesians 4:29-31

May God give us the strength to quench these negative emotions, to deflect the fiery darts of negativity that the enemy shoots at us (though he be our husband or brother!). May He give us strength to look to Him and have our worth in Him. Though it kill me, may I serve the Lord.