Ideal Woman: Made in the Image of God.

This weekend I went to Philbrook Art museum. They have a room with ancient sculptures and masks in it. One of the sculptures was titled "Ideal Woman." Society is always trying to put a label on what an ideal woman is. Secular society portrays an ideal woman based on her looks. Many women struggle to look like these ideal women that they see in the magazines. They think that if they can only be the woman on TV or in the magazine then they will find fulfillment in their life. Christian society has their own opinions. In the church people often describe the Proverbs 31 woman and other examples of women we see in the bible. There are numbers books written on what it means to be a woman.  As women we constantly look and strive to be the ideal woman. I think that many times we are looking in the wrong direction. Whether we are trying to conform to societies ideal or live out every ideal in the 100's of books written by Christian women, we lose sight of what it really means to be a a woman.

Proverbs 31 is a good place to start. Many women desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman to live our lives as the woman described in the passage. We tend to get caught up the in the details. We have many examples of what it means to be a woman in the bible, starting with Eve. We've all read the stories of Sarah, Ruth, Miriam, Deborah, the Mary's, and I could go on, but I think you get the point. We've read the books on what it means to be a woman. At times I become over whelmed reading these stories and books. I recently started reading "Let Me Be a Woman" by Elisabeth Elliot, this book is a collection of letters she wrote to her own daughter as a wedding present. In one chapter I think that Elisabeth Elliot gets to the core of what it means to be a woman. We were made in the image of God and we were created to be man's helpmate.

First made in the image of God. I am in awe that the creator the universe,  the God of all that was, is and will ever be made me in His image. In His likeness. Nothing else in all of God's creation was made in His image except man and woman. This shows us his desire to have relationship with us. He doesn't need us but He wants us. He wants to use us. There is nothing spectacular about what we can bring to God, but he choses to use the gifts and talents He has given us. As women we are made in the image of God. As Christians we have the opportunity to take Christ characteristics and share them with those around us. It through the Lord that we are able to love compassionately and serve others. We are made in His image so that should show us that we are far better than any magazine or TV ideal of a woman. Just like those masks in that room, as women we try to put on a mask so on the outside we look ideal. We don't want those around us to see who we really are. But you see because we are made in God's image we don't have to hide who we really are. God has made us beautiful on the inside and outside. When He looks at us He sees the finest point of all his creation.

Secondly, God made us for a purpose to be man's helpmate. We were created to help man. To work along side of him. We were created to assist man in accomplishing the will of God. This does not mean that we cannot be strong women. God did not create us to sit on the sidelines and  not to use our minds. He created us to be helpers. Men need strong women to help them achieve the will of God. As Christians we are called to the harvest, we are called to be farmers of the seeds we plant. We are called to work together as brother and sister in Christ.

So what is the ideal woman? The ideal woman is the woman who recognizes that she is created in the image of God and who embraces it. The ideal woman is a woman that realizes that she was created for a purpose. She takes these two simple aspects found in Genesis and puts them to use in her daily life. Realizing that you are made in the image of God and that you were made for a purpose makes you a strong woman.