Would you open the door for a lady?

Tonight I found myself hashing out principles of discipleship with my dad. He was thinking out loud and we were generally just brainstorming. “For young men” he continued “they need to be taught to open doors for women, speak honorably, make their relationship with the Lord their own, and treat women with respect.” He paused and looked at me. I wrestled with my own thoughts as I hugged my knees up under my chin in an effort to stay warm. Finally I said, “Why? If you had no cultural experience, no examples to look to, and no generalizations. If all you had was the Bible, would you open the door for a lady? Why?”

We both just kind of sat there thinking, “Whoa! Why do we do things the way that we do?” However, we came to the conclusion that opening the door for a woman is a God-honoring thing to do…based on Scriptural principles! For the most part, it all came back to the roles of men and women.

In our feministic society the gap between men and women seems to be rapidly diminishing. Our culture silently screams through compromise that there is little difference between a man and a woman. Women claim that they are not weak, they are not under any man, and they are definitely not dependant on men!

Why is this issue so important? Why do I feel passionately about the roles of men and women? Turn to Genesis and see that God created man first, gave him his life work, and then gave him his life partner to help him in the work that God had already given to him. God’s design has always been for women to help men; not for women to have their own private dreams and plans. Furthermore, when the roles of men and women are distorted it actually blasphemes the Word of God. (Titus 2:1-8) When a woman, particularly a married woman, supports herself (emotionally, physically, and spiritually) she is claiming by her actions that she does not need a man. However, if marriage is to be a picture of Christ and the church, what does this say about a Christian’s relationship to God? Can we as Christians support ourselves? God has designed men and women to a practical example of the relationship between Christ and the church.

Back to the original question: Why should a man open the door for a woman? First, it reminds the man to have the same attitude that Christ has towards the church. It is serving them genuinely without any motive of person reward. Secondly, it shows respect and honor for women as the weaker vessel.

Right now I know that at least one person who is reading this thinks that I am strange and old fashion. My purpose is not to make a huge to-do about men opening the door for women. However, the role of men and women is not an issue to brush by or take lightly. Above this, we need to be encouraged as Christians to take every issue, every standard, every hypothesis, every generalization, and evaluate it in the light of Scripture alone. Cultures change rapidly. Civilizations rise and fall. Traditions fade with time. The Word of our Lord abides forever.