Christian patriarchy teaches that providing for a wife is a core desire of men. But is it true? Is it right? Is it Biblical? And is this a desire only males have? (thread)
@sheilagregoire https://twitter.com/loverespectinc/status/1351865576986189824

Firstly, do all males desire it? I do know many good men who want their families to be comfortable and financially secure. They do what they can to make that happen. I unfortunately know some lazy ass guys who have no interest in that at all. Their wives carry all the burdens. /2

Also, many women are abandoned and left to provide for themselves and their children. Many men have children they don’t even know about. So let’s say this ‘core’ desire is not universal. Next. Is it right for men to have this desire? I think yes and no. If you want to provide../3

..out of love for your wife and kids, great! But for some it is about pride and control. They want to be ‘the great provider’ that their family worships. Or they use it to control their wives and kids. They bring in the $$ so they call the shots. They can even use it.../4

...for blackmail. Do what I want or else. It can also stop a women from developing her talents because the man wants to be ‘the provider’. And it leaves families potentially vulnerable if the husband dies. Next. Is it Biblical? This is getting interesting.../5

So I did a simple search on the word ‘provide’ in the Bible. Not once did it refer specifically to a husband providing for his wife and children. The closest I could find was David providing for his concubines after they were raped by his son Absalom./6

There were several references about people providing for family members. Joseph for his father, brothers and their children. The proverbs 31 women providing for her family and servants. Ruth providing for Naomi and Naomi wanting Ruth to be provided for in the future/7

The NT believers providing for their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, masters providing for slaves, and an exhortation to Christians in general to work to provide their own needs and to provide for their relatives. /8

I have the impression that what is assumed in Scripture is that the strong support the vulnerable, the adults support children and elders, the rich support the poor, and all do whatever work they can do to make society run well and create prosperity for all. But there’s more/9

Who is spoken of a ‘the provider’ in Scripture? Not a husband, but the Lord. He provides food, rain, land, wells, vineyards and even the ultimate, ‘God himself will provide the Lamb’ (Gen 22:8,14) Remember Jesus detailing how God provides even for birds and flowers? But then../10

I thought about how Jesus is (in patriarchy) the ultimate male. Was he a provider? Well yes, he fed the five thousand for example. Although those were men and women. But what does Luke say who financially supported Jesus? The WOMEN who followed him provided for him. /11

God is our provider. But with what he gives us, we provide for one another. Not because it is a ‘core male desire’ but because it is how we show love. And there is no shame in being provided for by women. After all, Jesus was too./end