Boys Versus Girls: A Biblical View of Gender Roles in an Exponentially Competitive Culture

Some of my fondest memories from childhood are ones in which my friends and I would rush out of school at the end of the day and head to the playground. Often, we would play games such as tag, catch, or other competitive activities. This sort of competitive playfulness, however, wasn’t just limited to the aftermath of a long school day. It transferred over to Sunday School when there would be a trivia game with our table groups, or when my cousins and I would play football together in the pipeline near their house. I, and many others my age, grew up surrounded by competition. Of course, there needed to be a way to organize these competitions, a set of rules, a way to earn points, and most importantly, a way to choose teams. Determining teams was always the most fun, but complicated part. Sometimes we would separate by picking captains, other times by counting off every other person. But no matter what we concluded, one option was consistently brought up: boys versus girls. A boys versus girls competition was always the fiercest, for each side felt the inexplainable urge to prove the dominance of his/her own gender. Where this urge came from, no one knew, but everyone felt it.

Although most people today wouldn’t admit it or even be able to identify it, this boys versus girls mentality is still lodged in their brain. We may have moved on from simple playground games, but we still feel the pressure of representing our team well. This mindset, however appealing it may seem, is explicitly contrary to the way God intended men and women in Christ to coexist. We were not created to compete against each other, but to work together in unity for a purpose greater than “winning the game.” We don’t need to be ashamed of the areas that make us different but should recognize that those differences were divinely ordained by a Creator. Men and women both are made in the image of God and, although they are equal in status and dignity, are called to different, complementary roles. By enforcing a competition, one is directly opposing the beauty of the way God created gender to be.

When trying to understand a Biblical view of gender, one must first seek to understand the definition of what it means to be a man or a woman. God created men and women to be different, so one must recognize what those differences are. Perhaps the most clear-cut way to comprehend this is to compare the physical and psychological traits in men and women. When one thinks of these differences, one’s mind typically jumps to the fact that men tend to be stronger and faster athletically, while women tend to be more expressive and emotionally aware. While this has been proven to be true, there is more evidence concerning anatomical and physiological differences than we are immediately conscious of. For instance, as shown in a study performed by Dr. Larry Cahill, the anatomy of the male brain and the female brain show many points of contrast. Men typically have a smaller hippocampus (the area of the brain dedicated to learning and memorization) than women do, and the amygdala (a responsive structure found in both hemispheres of the brain) of women is typically more active in the left side of the brain while men’s are more active in the right (Goldman).

Additionally, the two hemispheres of a woman’s brain will often communicate with each other more than men due to a larger corpus callosum (Goldman). This information indicates that women will typically remember emotional events more vividly and quickly than men, who will typically think more logistically in the moment. On average, women are able to comprehend verbal and written information better, making connections to their long-term memories, and men have stronger visuospatial skills and handles on larger amounts of incoming information. These differences do not indicate that one gender is superior, nor do they indicate that both genders are the same. Rather, they show that men and women simply have different skill sets, both equally important to life. This is exactly why God created both man and woman, and why he does not prefer one over the other but gives them different jobs.

Thankfully, God does not define men and women strictly by their physical differences. Instead, those differences point to something much deeper: the beauty of Christ. Both men and women are called by God to emulate the character of Christ, who is the ideal standard for a Christian way of living. For men, this means pursuing attributes such as leadership, humility, gentleness, compassion, and patience. Pursuing these characteristics sets godly men up for excellence within their roles, and ultimately demonstrates a Christ-like lifestyle. Vince Miller explains how true masculinity “finds its definition in God alone” (Miller). He explains how godly men will obey the authority of God, sacrifice their desires for others, continually look to grow, and love those around them well. These traits are not original to mankind. They were first displayed by God Himself. A true man is not a person who is simply physically stronger than a woman. A true man is one who seeks to follow in the ways of Christ. He looks to lead others to the truth and care for them well.

Over the course of history, man has attempted to come up with other definitions of masculinity but has consistently fallen short. Of course, some have gotten close, emphasizing certain traits, but even those have missed the mark. One such example is that of the ancient Spartans. In their society, men were introduced to education and physical activity from a very young age. As they grew older, they took a series of tests centered on producing mental and physical toughness, all intended to prepare them for a life as a warrior (McKay). This emphasis on dedication and perseverance is in and of itself Christ-like and is something that has been lost in culture today. Such an emphasis on physical and mental prowess, however, made failure a devastating blow to the Spartans’ self-esteem, and it ultimately contributed to their downfall. The Spartans may have understood the importance of hard work and strong leadership, but they failed to see the value of loving others, seeking to make peace rather than strife, and forgiveness, each of which qualities demonstrated by Jesus. In the end, the Spartan definition of man was far off from God’s definition, despite how honorable it may have seemed.

Just as godly men are defined by their ability to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, so are godly women defined by their representation of Christ. In fact, many of the same character traits men are called to emulate also apply to women. Just like men, women are called to love others, put others first, respond in gentleness, obey God, etc. These traits, along with many others, should ultimately be used to display the beauty and majesty of God. Throughout history, mankind has defined femininity in various ways, from the pursuit of physical beauty to the desire to have and raise children. Just as the Spartans failed to provide an accurate definition of masculinity, these definitions also miss the mark. Women are called to display beauty, but rather than physical beauty, it should be Christ-like beauty. Additionally, women are called by God to raise and care for their children, but that should never be viewed as their sole purpose.

As one can see, God’s definitions of man and woman are grounded in His call for humans as a whole: to serve and glorify Him. But while they are defined in a very similar manner, they are called to very distinguished roles. Before understanding what exactly those roles are, it is crucial to understand that they are equal in importance and by fulfilling them, man and woman both are honoring God. One is not more Christ-like than the other.

So what specifically are those roles? How are men and women called to glorify God? To begin, men are called to be leaders. This is revealed first in Genesis 2. Within this passage, one reads that God first created man, and from man He created woman. Both man and woman were set apart from the rest of creation and were given dominion over it. Man, however, was specifically designated the role of tending to the Garden of Eden and naming the creatures in it (Genesis 2:15). He was given a kind of authority that was not given to the woman. Additionally, it is important to note that Adam, the first man, was created before Eve, the first woman. Throughout the Bible, one will notice an overarching pattern known as “primogeniture.” This idea states that “the firstborn in any generation in a human family has leadership in the family for the next generation” (Grudem). Adam, being the first human in creation, was therefore placed in a position of leadership. This position of leadership was then handed off to men in the generations to come. In the world today, such positions of leadership and authority are often viewed as pinnacles of power and only with such a position is one deemed high in status. This sort of definition, however, is not necessarily accurate. Adam was no higher in status than Eve simply because he was given a position of leadership. In fact, Genesis 5:1-2 states that God “blessed them” equally, for they were made in His image. God gave man the role of a leader, but that didn’t make him “better” than the woman, for they were both bearers of His image.

The role of a woman is no less important. When God created man and gave him the job of tending for His creation, He knew that he would need a helper, leading Him to create the first woman. This role was necessary and no less important than that of Adam. Had Eve not been created, Adam could never have accomplished all that God asked him to. 1 Corinthians 11:9 states, “Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man” (ESV Student Bible). While this verse might initially seem to imply that women are inferior to men, it actually has a much more positive meaning. By creating the “woman for man,” God was creating women to fill a specific role that man alone would have been incapable of filling. As helpers, women are called to submit to male leadership, but not in the sense that they are inferior to them. Rather, being a helper means to complete the job that would have been left unfinished. The masculine role is one that women would be incapable of filling, and the feminine role is one that men would be incapable of filling.

This incapability to fulfill the role of the opposite gender is precisely why God created marriage. In Genesis 2:24, one reads that man is called to “[leave] his father and mother and [be] united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” By creating man and woman, God intended for them to work together to accomplish His purposes. Nowhere in Genesis, or the entire Bible for that matter, will one find that God created man and woman to compete with each other. Rather, God created men and women differently so that they will work together in unity to glorify Him; marriage is the means by which this unity is best achieved. Larry Crabb best describes marriage as a dance in which both the man and woman are working beautifully in sync, each performing their individual moves but both moving to the rhythm of God’s Word (Crabb). Both man and woman have unique roles when it comes to glorifying God, but they are unified by the very fact that their ultimate goal is to serve Him. Thus, when those separate roles are brought together through marriage, that glorification is doubled.

Perhaps the most applicable way to observe the callings of men and women can be found within the very realms of marriage and the family itself. Within the household man is called to two roles: that of the husband and that as the father. As a husband, man is called to lead his wife and to treat her well. This is observed numerous times throughout Scripture, from Genesis 2:24, which commands a husband to “hold fast to his wife,” to Ephesians 5, which commands him to treat “his wife as himself.” He is called to emulate the character of Jesus, displaying the true, honorable masculinity that He displayed. Wayne Grudem, a renowned theologian and founder of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, states: “Husbands must... fulfill the New Testament commands to love their wives, honor them, be considerate of them, and put them first in their interests” (Grudem). By worldly standards, this calling seems very counterintuitive. As a leader, the husband should put what he thinks is best before all else, right? He was given the most power, so he should exert it in the way that he likes. But that is not what God intends. By giving the husband a role of leadership in marriage, He was not preferencing him more than the wife, nor was He making him superior to her. Instead, God gave the husband a greater responsibility to care for his wife, placing her needs before his own and making decisions that would benefit all members of the family rather than just himself. Just as is shown in the life of Jesus, the leadership of a husband is sacrificial, selfless, and gentle. As stated by Phillip Holmes, “Our perfect Savior died for a bride that had unassailably proven herself unworthy of such a sacrifice. Which presents a beautiful picture of how sinful husbands should love and cherish their wives” (Holmes).

When one turns to the Bible, one can find several examples of husbands who exhibited this Biblical leadership. One such example is that of Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Ruth, daughter of the widow Naomi, was a young, poor woman, who was forced to provide food for herself and her mother. One day, she went to retrieve the leftover barley from the field of Boaz, who happened to be a relative of Naomi’s late husband. When Boaz saw her, he immediately stopped what he was doing and sought to help her. Upon hearing her situation, he not only permitted her to continue gleaning from his fields, but he provided her with protection and access to everything he owned. Boaz continued to take care of Ruth and provide for her and her mother, and the two eventually got married (Ruth 2-4). When observing Boaz’s relationship with Ruth, several points of interest stand out. For one, Boaz displayed extensive generosity to Ruth, offering her much more than was necessary for her situation. This kind of generosity requires sacrifice. Although Boaz and Ruth are not initially married when one reads of their story, one can see how he treats her as a godly husband should, putting her before himself. Just as God calls husbands to lead their wives graciously, Boaz led Ruth by sacrificially tending for her needs and treating her as a sister in Christ rather than a servant.

Now, it is important to note that gentle, selfless leadership does not mean that the leadership of a husband lacks authority. As stated in Ephesians 5:23, “the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the Church.” Both the husband and the wife should work together to make decisions, but at the end of the day, the husband has the final authority. He is the one ultimately held responsible for his and his wife’s actions. This authority can often be difficult to bear, and the husband must consistently seek out God’s Word for guidance on how to best enact it.

The role of leadership for the man in a family extends even further, however, influencing his children as well. As described in Genesis 1:28, God calls men and women, through marriage, to “be fruitful and multiply,” that is, to bear children. As a father, men are called to reflect the love and tenderness of God. After all, God is in Himself the perfect father. Liviu Barbu explains that “God’s love is chiefly presented as the love a father or a mother has for his or her own children” (Barbu). In other words, by looking at God’s love, one can best comprehend how a father should love his own children.

When observing God’s paternal love, one will notice three key points: His discipline, His patience, and His guidance. These three qualities, along with many others, should each exist within a Christ-like father and should be fueled by love. Placing too much emphasis on one and neglecting another results in a fatherhood that is either too strict, relaxed, or uninvolved. When it comes to discipline, a father must provide consequences and boundaries for his children, teaching them to learn and grow from their mistakes. Too often in modern society, discipline is viewed as a sin itself, and the most severe punishment a child receives is a fifteen minute “time- out.” This lack of consequence represents a sort of apathetic, timid parenthood, one in which the parent doesn’t care enough about their child’s outcome or is too scared to actually step in and point out when their child is making poor decisions. When used properly, discipline is a sign of a parent’s love for his/her children. Patience is another attribute necessary to a Biblical fatherhood. In Psalm 86:15, one reads that God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” When leading his children, a father must set an example of gentleness and kindness, and one of the best ways to do so is to withhold an immediate response of anger or frustration, choosing to self-control instead. The phrase “slow to anger” occurs also in James 1:19-20, explaining that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” By demonstrating patience, a father can steer his children in the way of the Lord righteously. This leads one to the third point: guidance. As a leader, the father must guide his children as they experience life. He must help teach them God’s Word and help them understand it so that they will be prepared by the time they leave their parents. This kind of guidance requires presence, for a father must always be there for his children in times of difficulty.

Just as the role of a husband and father is heavily related to his role as a man, so is the role of a wife and mother related to her role as a woman. As a wife, women are called to submit to their husband’s leadership, aiding them in their decision-making and keeping their focus on Christ. In the Bible, submission plays a very strong role in the qualities of a Christ-like wife. As Ephesians 5:24 articulates, “As the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” By definition, submission is the act of letting someone with higher authority take the reins, humbling oneself to serve the other. In Greek the verb “be subject to” is translated as hypotasso. In the world today, people have twisted the meaning of hypotasso, describing it as mere respect and consideration for another person, typically a peer. This definition, however, is not aligned with a Biblical view of submission. Grudem explains, “If it is understood in this sense, then the text does not teach that a wife has any unique responsibility to submit to her husband’s authority, because both husband and wife need to be considerate and loving toward one another” (Grudem). The submission of a wife to her husband extends beyond showing love and reverence towards him. Of course, those qualities are necessary, but they are not specific for wives, but should be observed in all Christians. Grudem continues, “the term hypotasso... always implies a relationship of submission to an authority.” For a wife to subject herself to her husband means that she must recognize that he possesses a position of leadership and authority. She must be considerate of him (just as he should be considerate of her), but also recognize that he is her “head.”

Of course, submission to one’s husband does not mean that wives should passively stand by as their husbands control their lives. Rather, by submitting to their husbands, wives should seek to hold them accountable and point out when they are drifting from God’s Word. One such example of a Christ-like wife can be found in the person of Esther. A Jewish woman, Esther caught the attention of King Xerxes, who had divorced his former wife, Queen Vashti, and ordered the most beautiful women to be brought to him so that he might find a new wife. King Xerxes was by no means a follower of God, and one of his nobles, a man named Haman, sought to kill the Jews. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin and primary target of Haman’s malice, revealed Haman’s intentions to her, begging her to persuade the king to not proceed with the action. As his wife, Esther boldly stood up to King Xerxes and made her request, an action that could have resulted in her imprisonment or even death. The king, however, listened to his wife and ordered Haman to be hung and the Jews to be protected. Esther was submissive to her husband, pleading with him gently and respectfully, but she also understood that she needed to stand up to him for the sake of her and her people’s faith.

This is the kind of relationship God calls wives to have with their husbands. Just like Esther, the role of a married woman is to submit to male leadership; however, she must not lack qualities of courage and boldness. Being submissive to one’s husband is by no means a timid role in which the wife sits idly by. Therefore, the wife’s role within marriage is no less necessary or important as the husbands, but it reveals the complementary nature of man and woman.

The role of a woman as a mother is in many ways similar to that of the father. Just as fathers are called to discipline, be patient with, and guide their children so too are mothers. To some, it may seem unusual that mothers are called to discipline their children in the same way as the father, seeing as he is placed in the leadership position. This task, however, is equally placed on the mother, as seen in Proverbs 29:17 and other passages throughout the Bible. That being said, there are a few qualities of parenthood that are unique to the mother. Although mothers are called to submit to their husbands, they are given a special kind of authority over their children. From the moment of conception, mothers are given the task of physically nurturing and sustaining their children. As the child grows older, that physical nurturing morphs into a sort of emotional, mental nurturing. The hand that once spoon-fed a squirming toddler becomes the hand that teaches a ten-year-old how to write a letter and embraces a teenager after the loss of a friend.

The nurture and care of a mother is one of the driving forces in the growth of a child as he/she develops into a godly man or woman. It is unique from the leadership and teaching of the father in that it requires a greater responsibility for self-sacrifice – sacrifice of time, of energy, and of self-indulgence. Of course, male leadership within a family requires much sacrifice, but the sacrifice of a woman within a family is much more centralized to her children. To put it more clearly, a man’s sacrifice is spread across all members of the family, both his wife and his children, whereas a woman’s duty of sacrifice is magnified in her relationship with her children compared to her relationship with her husband. This is what separates motherhood from fatherhood. A father works and leads to provide for and guide his children while a mother invests herself daily to nurture and sustain them.

Ultimately, the roles of a father and the roles of a mother accomplish the same goal: to raise their children to be godly men and women. That’s what makes parenting so beautiful. That’s what makes marriage so beautiful. That’s what makes the differences between men and women so beautiful. Bringing together two different humans with different anatomy, psychology, and skill sets for a common purpose demonstrates God’s way of using the unexpected to bring Him glory. Too often in modern society, however, we try to elevate the roles of one gender at the expense of devaluing the other. In doing so, we lose the beauty of the uniqueness of man and woman and find ourselves pitting the two genders against each other, just as a child would in simple recess games.

In the world today, two views on gender have gripped the culture and twisted one’s view of gender: feminism and misogyny. These movements distract from the way God intended men and women to work together, instead creating separation between them. The feminist movement initially had a positive beginning, aiming to give women many human rights they had been deprived of in prior years, such as the ability to vote and have jobs. Over time, however, it has morphed into something drastically different, seeking to put men down and transfer male roles to women. Similarly, misogyny takes the God given role of male leadership and morphs it into male oligarchy, devaluing women and exalting men. In both cases, one undermines God’s design and loses the beauty of gender, instead creating and amplifying a “boys versus girls” relationship.

Misogyny can best be described as prejudice, or even hate, directed at women. In fact, the term itself derives from the Greek words misein, meaning “to hate,” and gyne, meaning woman (Chamberlain). Misogyny can take many forms, but is most often presented in the sexualization of women and limitation of their rights. In the world today, more and more men are embracing misogynistic behavior. Through platforms such as social media, podcasts, and other sources, misogyny has infiltrated the minds of men both young and old and has become an increasingly threatening worldview. According to a study performed by the University of Nottingham, approximately 97% of women experience some form of misogynistic behavior in their lifetime, the offenses ranging from catcalling to sexual assault (“Misogyny”). No matter the offence, misogyny opposes God’s view of masculinity and has numerous negative implications on a man’s relationship with the opposite sex.

Perhaps the most obvious result of a misogynistic mentality is that it inspires the devaluation of women. By exalting the male roles of leadership above the female roles of servanthood, one loses an appreciation for the female gender as a whole. This way of thinking is destructive, and often leads to despicable actions such as physical or sexual abuse. In the same way that white men and women devalued black men and women and subjected them to years of slavery and abuse, so too can men devalue and abuse women. When a person views another being as inferior, he/she makes moral compromises at the victim’s expense. Someone who advocates against the beating of a young boy becomes the same person who beats his wife. By cultivating a misogynistic mindset, one opens doors that he would have never sought to open. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women in the United States experiences some form of physical abuse from their partner in their life (“National Statistics”). It would be foolish to say that this shocking statistic is not in part due to the influence and growth of the misogyny movement.

Another implication of misogyny is that it twists male leadership into dictatorship. By viewing women as inferior, men, somewhat ironically, fail to perform their own roles, derailing them to fulfill their own desires. By believing that women are nothing more than servants to male leadership, they become dictators in their own homes. As previously explained, a godly leader is one who seeks to put others first. He is humble, gentle, patient, compassionate, and courageous. A misogynistic dictator counteracts each of these qualities, for he seeks to put himself first. He is selfish, harsh, perverted, quick to anger, and cowardly. He finds satisfaction in domination rather than in serving others.

Such behavior has many effects on a man’s fulfilment of his roles as both a husband and a father. By devaluing women, men deprive their wives of their ability to assist and come alongside them, thus disrupting a crucial piece of marriage. In a man’s attempt to put women down, he loses the beauty of unification through marriage, and is thus put at a major disadvantage in accomplishing his duties as the leader of the family. This is where misogynists are mistaken. Devaluing women does not elevate men. Instead, the act of devaluing women brings men down as well. After all, Adam was provided with a helper because he needed help, not because he needed something to control. Additionally, by viewing the roles of women within a relationship as unnecessary or illegitimate, men become far more likely to abandon their wives and children. As studied by the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 21% of children under the age of eighteen in 2020 lived with a single mother compared to the 4.5% who lived with a single father (Hemez). This number has grown dramatically over the past fifty years and is predicted to continue growing. Now, one cannot expect in every case studied that the father left for misogynistic reasons, or if he even left of his own accord. It would be even more foolish, however, to assume that these cases were completely free of misogynistic motives. Misogyny affects families in drastic ways, and unless it is addressed, it will continue to rob women and men alike of their God-given roles and leave children fatherless.

In the midst of a surge in the misogynistic movement, the feminist movement has gripped society in a very unique and damaging way. Contrary to misogyny, feminism takes the roles of men and women and attempts to tip the scales, putting women in a position of power at man’s expense. It takes honorable goals, such as treating men and women equally, and overextends them to the point where it contradicts God’s view of the relationship between men and women. Feminists seek individuality rather than unification, believing that the roles of men are equally the roles of women, and that women don’t need men to fulfill such roles. Over the past few decades, the feminist movement has grown dramatically, both in the number of women involved in it as well as the goals it aims to achieve. Today, about six in every ten women identifies as a feminist, the most common age being those between eighteen and twenty-nine years old (Barroso). Ultimately, the movement has impacted modern culture in various ways, and despite its seemingly positive appearance, is deeply corruptive to God’s calling for male and female gender roles.

One such example of the damaging effects of feminism is its aim to emasculate men. By seeking to transfer male gender roles onto women, women detract from the beauty of masculinity and what it means to be a man. One of the greatest lies feminists believe is that the leadership given to men is more important than their calling to serve. Their desire for more power and influence distracts them from the importance of their own roles, so much so that they compromise man’s ability to fulfill his own calling. Additionally, by demanding masculine roles, men are placed in a position in which they are shamed for taking a job or a leadership position instead of a woman. As stated by Paul Bedard, “It’s better to be a wuss than speak up or mouth off and face charges of harassment or chauvinism” (Bedard). In recent years, the feminist movement has become increasingly aggressive, so much so that men would rather turn down their roles to appease an angry feminist. This act of emasculation deprives society of the unique unity God intended for men and women to have and instills tension and fear between the two genders.

Connected to this is the fact that feminism constantly puts women in a “victim” position. Unless women get what they want in society, everyone else is viewed as an oppressor. For instance, if a man gets a promotion and a woman does not, the man, or even the company as a whole, is viewed as misogynistic and “anti-woman.” By believing that women deserve everything men receive or achieve, a culture is established that constantly bites its own neck: man versus woman.

Finally, just as misogyny undermines man’s role to care and provide for his family, so too does feminism undermine woman’s role as a wife and mother. Due to the belief that leadership and power are more relevant to society, feminist women are prone to neglect their equally important roles within the home, for they are under the impression that there’s something better out there for them. Rather than nurturing their children and assisting their husbands, they pursue independence, wealth, and influence. In a sense, feminism adopts the same characteristics as misogyny in that it portrays traditional female roles as inferior. The only difference, however, is that feminism declares that women were never meant to have those roles, but instead are called to take on male roles as well. This goes directly against God’s intentions for creating women in the first place. God did not create Eve so that she could overtake Adam and do his job better. He created her so that together, they could complete the task He had given to all of humanity: to glorify Him and tend to the rest of Creation. Eve served and assisted Adam, but she never felt the need to object to her roles because they were just as necessary as man’s roles and only by working together could they complete the task God had assigned for them.

In the end, both misogyny and feminism disrupt the beauty of God-given gender roles and create a society characterized by a “boys versus girls” mentality. Rather than portraying the differences between men and women as beautiful, they portray them as contradictory. Misogyny devalues female roles and elevates male roles to an unhealthy degree, while feminism attempts to degrade men and transfer their roles to women. In both cases, men and women spit in the face of God and His perfect design, attempting to create something better – a goal that will forever prove futile.

Gender roles were not created to be constrictive. They were not created to segregate men and women. Rather, God created gender roles to establish unity among mankind, as well as to reveal our human weaknesses. A man cannot accomplish all that a woman can, and a woman cannot accomplish all that a man can. Men and women need each other. So, while “boys versus girls” might be acceptable for a game of capture the flag, we cannot allow it to invade our worldview. God created both man and woman in His image, and whether one is going to work each weekday or staying at home to watch the children, it will not change the fact that our sole purpose in this life is to glorify God and make His name known. Men and women are not bounded by their roles. It is not our identity. Our identity is found in our relationship with our Creator. Just as it pains a mother or father to watch their children quarrel, it pains God to see His children so easily divided over something that He created as good and beautiful.

So how do we counter this “boys versus girls mentality?” It begins with understanding that God designed men and women differently. Because we are different, it would thus make sense that we would have different skill sets. One must then recognize that God specifically gave men and women different roles intended to amplify the beauty of those skill sets. By understanding that Biblical gender roles bring unification and fulfillment rather than separation and discrimination, one will be better prepared to counter views such as feminism and misogyny. We, as a culture, must leave our competitive nature on the playground. We must recognize that differences do not make one side better than the other. We must grow up. Only then will society turn away from the childish mindset of “boys versus girls.”

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