Unfortunately, some of the worst misogynists in the world are women. Ever since the fall, man has had a roving eye, and that has introduced a good deal of competition between women. Women often get catty and critical when they see success in a friend or sister, and rather than rejoicing with her, they want to see her belly flop. They want to be friends as long as she is having troubles, but once she is prospering, her friends will often abandon her.

This is clear as can be in the case of feminism. The liberal feminists claim they want what’s best for women (as long as they can define what that is), and they become  positively vicious when they see women succeeding in ways that don’t conform to their feminist paradigm. Because it is not really about women in general, it is about their own selves, what they want, what they think, what pleases them. And feminists (in general) hate women who disagree with them and their agenda. So feminism is not at all about loving and helping women (big surprise), but is about promoting a certain political agenda. And even among those who agree with one another, there is backbiting and cat fighting when it comes to competing for the same job or the same man.

But Christian women can be guilty of misogyny as well, hating women who do not fit their own paradigm of what is acceptable for a Christian woman to do. They can be just as catty, critical, unkind, and haughty as the unbelievers can. But the terrible difference is they use Bible verses to beat their sisters over the head. Or they shake their heads with self-righteousness as they look down on Christian women who are getting more attention (usually male attention), who look better, are smarter or richer. They don’t seem to mind what the unattractive, unpopular women are up to, but get themselves in a lather if it involves someone who is considered “further up the ladder” or “in the spotlight.”

This is old news. Competition, envy, and all their ugly companions rise to the surface when women give way to this fleshly rivalry. And the more insecure they are about who they are in Christ, the more threatened they feel, and the more spectacular the reaction.

Christian women have an opportunity to demonstrate to the unbelievers what real sisterhood is. Christ enables us to love one another in Him. This is clearly supernatural grace that is antithetical to a fleshly competition.  A gracious love for the sisters overlooks an insult, rejoices with those who rejoice, weeps with those who weep, and looks out for the interests of others.

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