This question is sent in response to the article "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." Are all women relationally oriented? What about the introverts out there? What about the goal-oriented women?

Being an introvert myself, I have had to work at caring for other people and reaching out, as God commands. I naturally want to do things by myself and for myself. When I get stressed out or upset, I withdraw from people into my "cave."

I am also goal-oriented. I cannot multi-task. I can only focus on one thing at a time. My motivation is achieving the goal. I strongly dislike group projects.

My fiancé is the opposite of me. He is very relational, loves to be around people, talks a lot, and is not as goal-oriented.

In my experience, there are many people like us. How can this be explained? If God designed woman to be relational, then why am I (and many others) not wired that way?

 
 
Hi ______,

Great questions.

I do think that at our core, women are relationally-oriented, which you will probably see once you have children and the concept of "family" becomes much more important to you. Particularly in American culture which has been so steeped in feminism, women's mindsets have been shaped to be more male-like, and there are more and more women saying the same thing as you.

When Ray and I give our "Mars/Venus" lecture, we run into couples like you and your fiancé from time to time, where it looks like somebody switched the labels. <smile> But the interesting thing is, you guys still find each other! There is still a beautiful complementarity to the male-female relationship where each person's strengths and weaknesses are balanced by the other person's strengths and weaknesses.

Sometimes people become independent and self-reliant not because of their gender but because of their family dynamics. That doesn't change what it means to be a woman at the core of your being, though. Your experience of being independent and self-reliant is going to be different from a man's experience. And honestly, they are both a challenge to living as God wants us to--depending fully on HIM instead of on ourselves. Being fiercely independent can be a curse; it's a way of digging our own cisterns (Jer. 2:13) instead of going to the source of Living Water in complete dependence and neediness. But you didn't ask that question, so I'll get off my soapbox now! <grin>

I'd be interested in having this discussion with you a few years down the road after you're married and hopefully have children. I wonder if you would still see yourself as not being relational anymore. If you think of it, pop back in and let me know, OK?

Warmly,

Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries

 
 
Thank you. That was very helpful. I'll try to remember to keep in touch and let you know if the situation improves after becoming a wife and mother. I know I have certainly become more relational since I started following God, so maybe He'll keep working on me!

 
 
Hey ______--

You're welcome. I think your comment about how you've become more relational since you started walking with God is deeply insightful and important!! It also makes me think about what I've heard from some wise men who comment that the example and input from their wives, the relational creatures that they are, has taught them to be more properly relational and people-oriented, and they think that that's the way God intended it to work. Perhaps that's one reason He calls women "the glory of man"!!!

Blessings,

Sue