Like a knife and fork are designed differently for different purposes, God did the same with men and women. The hormones matter!

But, the world has no desire to promote clarity about the differences between men and women. And Satan does not want those differences celebrated because it is a celebration of the image of God. Men's design represents the Powerful elements of God's image, and women's design represents the Relational elements of God's image.

The differences between men and women are real and funny. For instance, in one cartoon, a man and woman are shown separately looking at themselves in a mirror. The woman is shapely and thin but sees a reflection of a woman that is much larger. Of course, she is frowning unhappily. The man, on the other side of the cartoon, confidently admires the muscled, lean, and handsome figure he sees in the mirror, clueless that his real body is substantially overweight and rather unsightly.

Are men and women different? Perhaps you are convinced of that truth and want to know more. Maybe you think the differences are minor, or there are none, and our modern age is helping move us past the artificially constructed differences created in the past.

Well, whatever you think about the topic, there is simple, clear information to help you decide which is most likely.

Before moving forward, let me remind you of some important items about the way that God created man and woman. First, the methods were different. Man was created from the dust of the ground, while woman was created from the rib of man. Second, the timing was different. Man was created after the entire universe or physical environment was in place, including the garden. Woman was created after man was in place. Finally, the reasons were different.

A man was created to fulfill a need in the garden:

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it – Genesis 2:15

A woman was created to fulfill a need in man:

…it is not good that man be alone… – Genesis 2:18

Those items are even more important when you remember that God is PERFECT. His design of both woman and man is exactly like He wanted. If you do not accept that simple point, you entertain the corrupt thinking of Satan and the world. And the bad thinking shows up in funny statements like, “God miscalculated and saw He could create a better human being, so He created Eve.” Of course, that is not true, but it is funny!

God created man and woman perfectly to fulfill their designed roles which complement each other.

If you remember, woman was created because of God’s statement about Adam being alone. Without woman, man’s design is not fully utilized. Man needed a suitable helper. And for woman, it is imperative to remember that Helper is a word used primarily of God, which further elevates rather than demeans women.

If man’s design is not fully utilized without woman, the same is true for woman – her design is not fully utilized without man. She was designed to fulfill a relational role, while man was designed to fulfill a work role – the differences are complementary, not conflicting.