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Image Credit: God creates the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1–2:2) by Carolyn Dyk – Wycliffe Bible Translators, courtesy of FreeBibleimages.org. |
The calling to be a helper has often been misunderstood, diminished either by those who see it as mere subservience or by those who resent its purpose altogether. But the Scriptures do not leave us with vague definitions. When God said in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him,” He was not compensating for something Adam lacked. Adam was whole in himself, as every creature God had made was good. Yet, in His wisdom, God declared that something in the creation order was not complete—not because of human deficiency, but because divine purpose had not yet been fully revealed.
The word used in Hebrew for “helper” is ezer. It is not a soft word. It appears repeatedly in the Old Testament in reference to God’s own role as the rescuer and strength of His people. In Psalm 121:1–2, the psalmist says, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Again, in Exodus 18:4, Moses named one of his sons Eliezer, saying, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” If ezer is appropriate for God, then we must take care not to treat it as a lesser title when applied to woman.
To be a helper is not to accept a position of silence or invisibility. It is to step into a God-ordained role that bears the weight of discernment, courage, and spiritual clarity. In Proverbs 31:12, the virtuous woman is described as one who “does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” This is not passive. Her help brings blessing. It guards, uplifts, and strengthens the household. Yet even in her diligence, she fears the Lord above all (Prov 31:30). That fear shapes her help. It guides her choices. It anchors her influence.
We see a beautiful expression of this role in Abigail, the wife of Nabal. When her husband made a foolish and dangerous decision in 1 Samuel 25, Abigail did not cover it up. She also did not rebel. She responded with wisdom. She gathered provisions, approached David humbly, and turned away wrath with truth and courage. Scripture says she “was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance” (1 Sam 25:3). Her understanding made the difference. She preserved life and honored God, not by enabling her husband’s pride, but by stepping in with discretion.
In the New Testament, we see another form of help through the women who ministered to Christ during His earthly ministry. Luke 8:2–3 speaks of certain women who “provided for Him from their substance.” These women were not preaching in the synagogues, but they were near. They supported. They served. They stood by Him when many did not. At the cross, when most of the disciples had fled, Matthew 27:55 tells us that “many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar.” Their help was not loud, but it was faithful. Their presence testified to their love for Christ.
Today, this same call remains. A Christian woman is a helper not because she is less, but because she is called. She helps in ways that protect righteousness, not in ways that maintain comfort. She helps in friendship by speaking truth when it is hard (Prov 27:6). She helps in the church by discipling younger women (Titus 2:3–5). She helps in society by standing for what is just and pure (Phil 4:8). And if she is married, she helps her husband not by flattering him, but by praying for him, sharpening his vision, and walking beside him in a way that reflects Christ’s care.
This role, however, is not without danger. Some help in ways that enable sin. Others help out of fear or pride. That is why our model must always be Christ. He came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). Yet in His service, He never compromised. He washed feet (John 13:5), but He also overturned tables (Matt 21:12). His help was never empty. It carried truth, even when it cost Him everything.
Let us ask ourselves: Is my help rooted in truth or driven by fear? Am I walking in obedience to God’s calling, or am I trying to meet the standards of those around me? The Lord calls His daughters to walk with dignity, not defensiveness. With discernment, not pressure. With eyes fixed on Him. Let every Christian woman ask, “How can I help in this place, for the sake of Christ?”
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