Are Women Distractions?

Joe* was organizing an event at his church that spanned several nights. In an effort to include as many young people as possible, Joe planned to use both boys and girls as ushers.

A male leader in Joe's church took Joe aside and questioned him about using girls as ushers, telling him he didn't think it was a good idea. Joe was taken off-guard by this because he saw no rules against female ushers anywhere in the Bible or within his church's own policies. So, he asked this leader why he didn't think it was a good idea.

This church leader had one answer: "They are a distraction."

Wait, what? Women and girls can't be ushers in a church because they are a distraction?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

No, Mr. Church Leader, women and girls are not distractions.....the problem is you. Mr. Church Leader, you have a problem with lust. Don't try to cover your sin up by putting a label on all the female people in the congregation. Your sin problem is HUGE and is leading to the abuse of other people.

You are denying women the opportunity to serve Jesus because YOU lust after them every time they walk by.

You are denying women the respect you are commanded to give them (I Timothy 5:2) because YOU lust after them every time they walk by.

You are potentially causing another church member (Joe in this case) to stumble in their faith because YOU can't control your thought process around all women.

If women are denied the opportunity to serve Jesus because church leadership finds them distracting, it's the church leadership who has the problem and the women should not be punished because of it. It's like telling them, "Because we find you attractive and are distracted by your beauty, you do not get to serve Jesus."

Oh, my.

This mindset has to stop. It's part of the problem. In I Timothy 5:2, Paul admonishes Timothy to treat the older women as mothers and the younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. So, church leaders who find women so distracting that they can't so much as "allow" her to serve as an usher need to examine their own hearts and get their lustful thoughts under control - or resign as unqualified.

This shows me that women in evangelical churches are held captive to the unholy, ungodly, sinful thoughts of men and this is dangerous. It's akin to making allowance for sin...like saying the pastor can't control his thoughts so we'll control the women instead of dealing with the sinful lusts of the pastor.

Do you realize how common this is?
I shudder.
If you're interested in knowing more about how this subtle attitude hurts women and hinders ministry, click here.

~Tricia