1 Corinthians 11:12-13 “For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?”
As we are considering this subject, of necessity, a few verses at a time we might find it easy to lose sight of Paul’s original focus when this chapter starts. Paul’s obvious intent is to commend us to following Christ and honoring Him as our Head. No man or woman has any authority over our relationship with our Lord and Savior. We need no mediator between us and Jesus and He is the only mediator between God and man (1Ti 2:5).
It is often easy to become disgruntled with our lot in life. We either do not have the respect we feel we deserve or else more is required of us than anyone else around us. Others either demand too much of us, or else no one truly values our ideas and abilities. We often desire more responsibility, and then when we get it we want less responsibility.
Women often feel undervalued by society, and they often have reason to feel that way. They have had to fight for many things, including the right to vote, the ability to work outside the home, and to be treated fairly in the workplace. A lot of resentment has been fostered, and it has negatively affected our homes.
Men have often taken the attitude over the years that women were placed here to be servants. We have held an attitude of supremacy and often behave as though the only proper answer for our wives to give us is “Yes, dear.” Our attitude has created a culture of conflict in our homes, and we have tried to use the scripture to say “It’s not my fault (just like our forefather Adam did – Gen 3:12).”
Having lost sight of our need for each other and out absolute dependence on God, we (both men and women) have let that attitude bleed over into our worship. We need to stop and remember that our God, whom we profess to love and trust, created man first and then made the first woman from the man. This same God then so designed procreation that there would never be another man that did not come by woman.
The important thing to focus on here is the fact that this is all according to God’s will. When we look at our Head, Jesus Christ, and His bride, the Church, according to the examples given us in the Bible, we find a wonderful, loving, nurturing, honest relationship. The Bride of Christ does not resent her Husband’s role because He takes that role in love for her and her welfare. At the same time, He shows her love and trust in the role she has been given (Pro 31:10).
When we (as the bride of Christ) come to pray to (worship) our Husband, it should always be with an attitude of thanksgiving for all He has done and for all that He has enabled us to do. The natural man should be veiled (covered) so that Christ is clearly seen in us. We should be able to judge for ourselves whether our manner of living and worship honors the principles and precepts of God.
May God bless us to seek His way and His will, for in this there is peace for our homes and our churches!