War Between the Sexes Part II

I am somewhat amused to see how many guys were clinking their beer steins approvingly over this post. Um, fellas, I was talking to the womenfolk, but now that I have your attention, let me address you.

Before I do that, let me point out that with the original subject matter, the men experiencing labor like pain, we should take note that it was a publicity stunt. I’m guessing if the guys had sat stoic for 8-36 hours (or a week…it is called prodromal labor. It’s a real thing.) without breaking a sweat, only to finish the segment with, “Yep, turns out you women are all wimps! We can handle that pain better then you. Neener neener.” that the video would not have gone viral, providing them with worldwide, nearly free press. Women don’t like to be mocked either, especially by people who don’t understand fundamental differences being male and female. If soaps have taught us anything it is that writhing (in all its various manifestations) and whining sells.

On to my main point; your glory is your strength. Its a pretty sweet asset and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little envious. Strength puts all your attributes into perfect lighting.  Feminists aside, what woman wouldn’t want a man who can wrap his arms around her and protect her? A guy who would take a bullet for her? A man who takes the heavy garbage bag our of her kitchen and over the the outdoor trash without being asked? (ouch)

Too often men leave their woman in a position where it is easy to for her to slip into sin. When you don’t take the initiative to help around the house, when you can’t be bothered to change the baby’s diaper or go grocery shopping. What you are essentially doing is throwing temptation into her face and asking her not to succumb. Too many men love to talk about guns, politics, cigars/pipes/cigarettes, religion, and all the injustices going on over there with a manly-man whiskey in hand, but then magically transforms into a sniveling toddler when wakes up one morning with a common cold. Trust me, the irony is not lost on women. Of course, when a husband does these sorts of things, it does not make it alright for his wife to mock him. She still is not allowed to sin, but you are making her job unnecessarily more difficult. It isn’t like she doesn’t know what a cold feels like. I’m willing to bet she has had one. Sore throats, coughing so hard your abs hurt, dizziness, bowling ball brains, dry, sore runny nose, post nasal drip, not being able sleep. She gets it, colds are miserable. But when a husband isn’t tough about having a cold (or other various and sundry aspects of life), he puts himself in the position of being just another baby she ends up having to Florence Nightingale for. In case you were wondering, babies = not hot. A man who loves and cares for his baby = hot! Your kids have an excuse. They have limited experience with discomfort, they are still learning self control, and they aren’t allowed to heat up their own water for tea. But, you aren’t a kid. Call me a meanie, but guys, you have got to man up. Your wife has her hands full already. Most women in this community are hard at work raising the next generation of Christians. She probably stays at home, and some days you come home from work to find her still in her pjs and ordering pizza to be delivered for dinner. What the heck is going on?! I will admit that there are some lazy women out there, but most of the moms I know are hard workers. The reason she is still in her pjs is because she was too busy  to get dressed with all the training of your children going on, keeping them alive, teaching them how to think and how to behave, all the while trying to keep up with the laundry. She is ordering pizza because she has already made 5 meals today and since she only had 4 hours of sleep last night, her brain is starting to fritz on her. She needs your help.  She needs you to be strong. She needs you to watch the kids for 15 minutes so she can go take a shower. Instead of  hitting the gym so you can look better, seek out opportunities to exercise your strength in a way that will be a blessing to the people around you. Start with the people living in your own home. Don’t glory in empty strength. Use your power for good. Don’t make yourself a stumbling block for your woman. Be tough. Be strong. Be kind. Be consistent.