I Am Woman, I Don't Need To Roar

I Am Woman, I Don’t Need to Roar

A new year brings a chance to pause and reflect on what we want the coming months to be. As women, many of us feel overwhelmed by all we carry—striving to meet the endless expectations placed upon us. From balancing work and family responsibilities to enduring the unspoken social pressures to look the best, cook the best, and create the best, it feels like we are in a constant competition to be the best. All the while, we are expected to do it effortlessly, without ever letting anyone see us sweat.

We live in a fast-paced, information-driven age that bombards us with unrealistic ideals of what our lives ‘should’ look like, leaving us to believe our value lies in how many views, likes, or followers we have. In reality, no one’s life is as perfect as their social media posts. Unintentionally, we can succumb to the pressures of our culture, evaluating our worth based on our weight, wrinkles (or lack thereof), and wealth. It’s exhausting and defeating, leaving us longing for real rest—not just a fleeting ‘I need a vacay… like, yesterday!’ moment, but genuine soul rest.

Anyone else ready to break free from these pressures and forge a new path? The way forward may be old, yet it is timeless. As the Book of Jeremiah says, ‘This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.’¹

Culture’s View of Womanhood

The journey begins with considering God’s view of womanhood versus the cultural view. The misconception of biblical womanhood, combined with the culture’s portrayal of women, often leaves us struggling to define what womanhood truly means. Today, women are under immense pressure to take on more, yet they feel increasingly undervalued and overwhelmed. Many women I speak with are torn between societal expectations and the desires of their hearts.

Cultural views of womanhood have always been shaped by the value—or lack of value—that society places on women at a given time. Historically, women were often considered property, with no rights or ability to own land. Their worth was tied to their ability to bear children and care for their families. Fathers determined their futures, while husbands (or owners) dictated their value. A man could dismiss his wife for any reason, and she had no power to contest it. Women in these circumstances often felt devalued and powerless.

This began to change with the growth of Christianity. The teachings of Jesus, the preaching of the apostles, and the letters to the early churches, now part of the New Testament, radically transformed how women were viewed. For example, passages like Ephesians 5:25 and 1 Corinthians 7:4 introduced the idea of mutual love and respect in marriage. Husbands were called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, and both husband and wife were seen as equal partners, each belonging to the other. These are concepts we would not consider radical at all, but they were radical in the time of the early Church, which chose to go against the culture at the crossroads and follow the godly path. 

These teachings restored the ancient path established at the beginning of time. God created humans to reflect His nature and represent Him in the world. The thing that sets man apart is he is created in God’s image. Humans are given self-consciousness—animals have consciousness but not self-consciousness—man is aware of his own existence. We are given personality, rationality, creativity, and most importantly we are the only ones in all the creation of the heavens and the earth that can enjoy relationship. This is indicated when God says, 'Let Us make man.' God never says this about anything else in creation except man.  God created them male and female².  Each has value and purpose from their Creator. God then instituted marriage and family: 'That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.'³   God blessed them to prosper, reproduce, and take charge of His creation. This return to God’s design transformed not just individual lives but entire cultures.

The Missteps of Modern Feminism

Fast forward to today. The feminist movement sought to 'liberate' women, promising that they could 'be all that a man can be’, but it became a battle of women versus men.  The phrase 'I am woman, hear me roar,' which originated from the 1972 song I Am Woman by Australian-American singer Helen Reddy, became an anthem of the women's liberation movement in the 1970s The lyrics emphasize female empowerment, resilience, and independence: ‘I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman.’ The phrase ‘hear me roar’ became a rallying cry for women's rights and feminism.  While this movement opened important doors for women, it also restricted them by imposing new standards. Women are told to compete they must be strong, driven, in control, successful, logical, and self-sufficient like they viewed the male counterpart. At the same time, our feminine traits—like compassion, sacrificial love, sensitivity, nurturing, and intuition—are dismissed as weaknesses to be overcome. While women can do and hold many positions in society that were restricted in the past, it also pressures some women to feel their value is in that and not where they feel most naturally drawn.

The career world is held up as the ultimate measure of success, while being a wife or mother is often devalued. Society tells us that our worth comes from what we do, not who we are. On top of this, unlike men, we as women face the relentless focus on physical appearance which leaves us chasing impossible standards of beauty.

This cultural pressure to suppress our God-given attributes in favor of unattainable ideals leaves many women feeling defeated and undervalued. The result? We lose sight of who we were created to be and find ourselves striving for a false sense of worth that will never satisfy.

God’s Design for Womanhood

Biblical womanhood, often misunderstood as oppressive or subservient, actually brings freedom and value. Unlike the culture’s view, God says that women are valuable for who they are, not what they do.

From the beginning, God made both men and women in His image: ‘So God created mankind in His own image… male and female He created them.’⁴   Each gender reflects God’s attributes in unique and complementary ways. In Genesis 2, we see that it was not good for man to be alone⁵. God created the woman as a helper, or ezer kenegdo in Hebrew. This term, ezer⁶, often translated as ‘helper’, does not imply servitude or inferiority. It is used to describe God himself but also those helping others of higher position. Kenegdo⁷ (alongside him) means beside him, counterpart of him, Eve was the other half like Adam even though she had opposite attributes. Together, men and women fully reflect God’s character. What this means is that women were not an afterthought or an optional add-on to an independent, self-sufficient man. God declared that without her, the man's condition was "not good." God's intention in creating the woman for the man was for them to be partners with complementary roles, have relationship, enabling them to accomplish the many tasks involved in stewarding His creation. God defined the order of authority so that roles and responsibilities were clear in family and marriage context , as stated in 1 Corinthians 11: 'But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.⁸ It is not saying that men are more valuable than women. As it states in the following verses in that same chapter, ‘Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.’⁹   We were created to work together, serve alongside one another, and build relationships, using our God-given attributes to complement each other. 

When we embrace God’s design for womanhood, we find freedom, value, and purpose. For those of us called to be mothers, there is no higher calling than shaping a human life in the image of Christ. And while there are many things we can do, only we can fulfill certain roles—pursuing our relationship with God, being a wife to our husband, and a mother to our children. These priorities should and can come first, no matter what the culture says.

A Call to Return to the Ancient Path

The cultural approach to womanhood has left us with chaos.  The result has been eroded femininity and masculinity, confusion about gender, broken marriages, and families in disarray. Children grow up uncertain of who they are, and society bears the consequences.

But if we, as women, reject the false values of society and embrace God’s design, we can experience peace, purpose, and confidence. By reclaiming our God-given attributes and roles, we can restore our families and, ultimately, our society.

So, I challenge you to reflect on who God created you to be. You were perfectly fashioned with a purpose—to impact not only your family but also the world. Don’t let culture define your value. Break free from societal pressures and return to the ancient path that brings rest to your soul. Walk in the freedom of knowing that God has uniquely wired you for a purpose. You don’t have to fit the mold that society places on you. God desires for you to embrace the fullness of who He made you to be. When you discover your unique wiring and walk in it, you will find not only purpose but also joy, fulfillment, and freedom as you impact others for good and for God’s glory.

Your Creator has already determined your worth and purpose. Together, armed with this truth, we can change the culture—just as the early Church did.  

Remember you are a woman. And you don’t need to roar.

By His grace,

Luisel

For help in discovering how God has uniquely wired you for a purpose, sign up for your free Discovery Call and see how Pathway to Purpose life coaching can guide you. https://lawlerlifecoach.com/collections/frontpage/products/discovery-call

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 6:16 (NLT).
2. John MacArthur, The Creation of Woman (sermon, November 28, 1999), Grace to You.
3. Genesis 2:24 (NIV).
4. Genesis 1:27 (NIV).
5. Genesis 2:18 (NIV).
6. Strong’s Concordance, H5826 (Ezer).
7. Strong’s Concordance, H5048 (Negdo).
8. 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV).
9. 1 Corinthians 11:11 (NIV).

Primary Sources:

• Nancy R. Pearcey, Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality.
  Explores how cultural views on the human body and its value have shifted over time. Pearcey examines how false ideologies have devalued human life—especially that of women and children—while also highlighting Christianity’s role in shaping a more life-affirming culture in the Greco-Roman world and beyond. She addresses the consequences of abandoning a biblical worldview for a secular one, particularly the dangers of mind-body dualism, which has led to a diminished respect for human dignity and negatively impacted society.
• Aristotle, Politics (Book I, Chapter 13).
  Aristotle describes women as naturally subordinate to men, asserting that men possess rational authority while women are meant to be ruled. This reflects broader societal norms in ancient Greece that devalued women's intellectual and social contributions.
• The Didache.
  Early Christian teachings promoted the protection of women and children, challenging some cultural norms of the Greco-Roman world.
• Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force.
  Discusses how early Christianity’s teachings on women, including the protection of widows and orphans, contrasted with Greco-Roman norms and contributed to its appeal.
• David Bentley Hart, Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies.
  Examines how Christianity fundamentally transformed cultural views on human dignity, including attitudes toward women.
• Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women.
  Explores how societal beauty standards create psychological and economic pressures on women.
• Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.
  Discusses the pressures women face in balancing ambition and societal expectations.