Gender Differences
The differences between the genders
goes all the way back to the garden. God created men and women different. To
work together as a couple, as a family or even in the workplace, take a peak at
a few of the contributions we talk about of a woman from Why Men and Women
Act the Way They Do.
Next month we’ll look at what males contribute and what they want, but
now, Ladies first!
HER
CONTRIBUTION
In the
garden, Eve found herself. She knew her contribution. The garden needed
tending. However, before the fall, we can’t find any records of bugs or
weeds, so tending was much easier! For Eve, tending the garden was beautiful.
For Adam, Eve just showing up made more beauty! One of women’s greatest
roles in life is they bring beauty with them. In one Gallup poll, men said one
of the top 3 things they appreciated about women is that they were well
organized.
In a survey
I read on a plane that was run by an advertising agency, what a woman most
desired was significance. Women want to know their lives count. They want the
world to be a better place because they are in it. Emotionally healthy women
intrinsically desire to leave the world better than they found it. They want
people to be glad they were there.
Sometimes
men can have a “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”
mentality, or a “that’s good enough!” attitude that squelches
the creativity of a woman. If you a re- married, decide as a couple, in what
realms the wife has complete freedom to make things better. In the workplace,
give women opportunities for women to be creative or to make something better.
HER
COMPASSION
Hands down,
the top quality single men, in our survey for Single Men are like Waffles,
Single Women are like Spaghetti found most attractive about the female species was their
relationship skills. They used many different words to describe it (kind,
tender, empathetic, loving, nurturing, sweet, nice, a good listener, etc) but
all the descriptions fall into one main category: compassion. Waffle warriors
appreciate that somehow women love them! Thank a woman in your life (mom, wife,
sister, daughter, etc.) for her compassion toward you.
HER
CHARACTER
And lest we
forget, Eve was made in God’s image. God is all encompassing of all the
qualities of both male and females (and then some!) We are a reflection of Him.
That is some great DNA! In addition, women were created from the
“rib” of Adam. There is a piece of a wedding ceremony that
perfectly describes the significance of Eve’s original creation,
“The woman God made was not taken from man’s head to rule over him,
nor from under his feet to be trampled upon by him but from his side that she
might be his equal, from under his arm that she might receive his protection
and from near his heart that she might own and command his love.”
What are
some of a woman’s character qualities a man might want to pay attention
to?
What are
some of her strengths to respect? :
Her
ability to read between people’s emotional lines. Because women are more skilled at
expressing emotions, they typically read other’s emotions better than
most men. If your mom, sister, wife or daughter thinks you need to “talk
to someone” or you should “make things right” or is asking,
“Can you find out what is going on with him/her?” then it is wise
to at least consider the request. She might be seeing into the heart or reading
a person’s body language.
Her
ability to nurture. Studies
have shown that higher testosterone levels are associated with people (men and
women) not hearing a baby’s cry as well or as quickly! There may be some
biology behind all that nurturing, mothering stuff. If you feel at all
uncomfortable with your relationship skills or your parenting qualities, then
mentor under the most nurturing woman in your world. Your wife, sister or mom
might give you some clues on how to better relate to your co-worker, your
toddler or your teen.
Bill and Pam Farrel of San Marcos are international speakers and authors of over 20 books, including Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti.