Between Two Worlds: God’s Design and Human Reality
For most of my Christian life, I had what I now realize was a very flawed understanding of God's sovereignty. I believed that because He's all-powerful and all-knowing, everything that happens in this world must be His will. If something existed—whether good or bad—it had to be because God either wanted it or at least allowed it for some greater purpose.
This theology worked fine until I started wrestling with centuries of female oppression in the name of Christianity. How could a good God allow—or worse, design—systems that subjugated half of humanity? The more I studied Scripture and discovered that dominance-based hierarchy was never God's intent, the more troubled I became.
The Wrestling Match
I remember the day this theological crisis came to a head. I was in my prayer room, having just realized that Paul's writings about women had been massively misinterpreted for centuries. Instead of teaching male authority, Paul was actually correcting false teachers who promoted these ideas.
This revelation should have been liberating, but instead it made me furious with God. If male dominance wasn't His design, then why had He allowed it to infiltrate the church for so long? Why had He permitted countless women to be abused, silenced, and treated as second-class citizens in His name?
My understanding of sovereignty was creating an impossible contradiction: either God wasn't good (because He designed oppression), or He wasn't powerful (because He couldn't stop it).
A Different Kind of Sovereignty
In the middle of my emotional storm, God spoke one simple phrase that began to revolutionize my understanding: "The hearts of men are now ready."
At first, I didn't fully grasp what He meant. But over time, I began to see that this statement revealed something profound about how God actually works in the world. He doesn't override human free will to accomplish His purposes. Instead, He works through people who are ready to receive and live out His truth.
God's sovereignty isn't about control—it's about ultimate ownership and infinite patience. He owns everything and could take it all back in a moment if He chose to. But because He is love, He invites us into partnership rather than forcing us into compliance.
Love Doesn't Force Its Own Way
This insight transformed my understanding of why change often happens so slowly in God's Kingdom. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13, "Love does not insist on its own way." (ESV) Love influences, woos, draws, and persuades—but it doesn't coerce.
Think about it: If God worked through force rather than love, He could have eliminated slavery, racism, and gender oppression overnight. But forced compliance doesn't produce heart change. It only creates external conformity while leaving hearts unchanged.
Instead, God plants seeds of Kingdom truth and waits for hearts to be ready to receive them. Sometimes this process takes generations. Sometimes it takes centuries. But when hearts are finally prepared, the transformation is genuine and lasting.
Working in the World As It Is
This doesn't mean God is passive or powerless. It means He's chosen to work through the world as it exists, not by overriding it. He partners with willing hearts to gradually transform corrupt systems from the inside out.
Consider how the Gospel has already transformed the world in ways we often take for granted:
The very fact that we consider racism a problem (rather than just accepting it as natural) is a result of Kingdom influence
The idea that everyone deserves basic human rights comes from biblical truth about being made in God's image
Women's right to own property, vote, and receive education—all Kingdom advances that seemed impossible to previous generations
The abolition of slavery in much of the world happened because Christians finally understood that their faith demanded it
Each of these changes happened not because God suddenly decided to fix things, but because hearts became ready to receive and act on truth that had been available all along.
Why Now? Why Are Hearts Ready?
So why did God tell me "the hearts of men are now ready" in this generation? I believe several factors have converged to prepare hearts for this truth:
Cultural maturity: Humanity has developed enough to see the devastating effects of power-based systems. We can now recognize abuse and oppression in ways previous generations couldn't.
Historical perspective: We have centuries of evidence showing how dominance-based hierarchy has harmed both men and women. The fruit has become undeniable.
Educational advancement: More people can read Scripture for themselves rather than depending entirely on traditional interpretations handed down by religious authorities.
Global communication: We can see how different cultures have handled gender relationships and learn from both positive and negative examples.
Spiritual hunger: Many people are tired of religion that focuses on rules and control. They're hungry for the authentic love and freedom that Jesus demonstrated.
The Partnership Invitation
Understanding that God works in the world as it is—not as we wish it was—has liberated me from both anger and passivity. I'm no longer frustrated with God for "allowing" oppression, because I understand that the real question is whether we are ready to partner with Him in transformation.
This perspective has also freed me from the burden of trying to force change through worldly methods. I don't need to demand my rights, manipulate circumstances, or use guilt and pressure to convince people. Instead, I can plant seeds of Kingdom truth in love and trust God to prepare hearts to receive them.
Hope for Transformation
The beautiful truth is that when hearts are truly ready, change happens from the inside out. It's not imposed from external pressure but grows from internal transformation. And that kind of change is lasting.
I see this happening all around me:
Men who are discovering that true strength is found in service, not dominance
Women who are stepping into their full calling without apology or aggression
Churches that are recognizing the gifts they've been missing by limiting women's roles
Marriages that are becoming partnerships of mutual honor instead of hierarchies of control
This transformation isn't happening because we've finally gotten our theology right or because we've successfully argued our case. It's happening because the King is on the move, working through hearts that are ready to receive His truth.
An Invitation to Trust
If you're frustrated with the pace of change in your church, your marriage, or your community, I encourage you to consider this perspective. God isn't slow or indifferent—He's working through love, which takes time.
Your role isn't to force change but to embody the Kingdom reality you want to see. Live out mutual submission in your relationships. Demonstrate Christ-like love in your interactions. Plant seeds of truth with gentleness and respect.
And trust that the God who works in the world as it is knows exactly what He's doing. The hearts of men—and women—are becoming ready. The Kingdom is advancing. And the best is yet to come.
What has your experience been with trusting God's timing for change?
Blessings,
Susan 😊