A Critique of Debi Pearl’s book, Created To Be His Help Meet

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For several years an article has circulated on the Internet entitled among other things, -Slave Labor.- The list was purported to be an extract from a high school Home Economics textbook from 1954. In summary, the girls were taught to be good housewives by preparing their homes, their supper meal, and their children for the arrival of their hard working husbands. -Try to make your home a place of peace and order where you husband can relax,- is the final point. Treat him like a king, and view yourself as his servant, it was saying.

Women who agree that this sounds like slave labor would NOT appreciate the instruction Debi Pearl presents in her book, Created to Be His Help Meet. Indeed, the author was aware that some of the material would not be welcomed in today’s western culture and was tempted to leave it out. Michael, her husband told her, -If God thought it was important enough to inspire it as part of His Word to us, then you should include it-.

Herein is the first and great quality of this book. It is based on Scripture without fear of man, or other women, or of being called -old fashioned’. Debi did a thorough study of the role of women in the Bible to prepare for this book. It is based on the design principle, that God created woman unique with an important role in society. The role for married women is to do all she can to make her husband a success. Attempting to take on the man’s role will result in damage to her marriage, her children, and herself.

About this book the author states, -It took four years, thousands of hours, many tears, revisions and distractions, but I finally finished my book. I had no idea God had so much to say to us ladies until I began going through God’s Word verse by verse, writing the different sections of Created to Be His Help Meet-.

In a nutshell, the book says, wives, stop trying to change your husband into what you want and start letting God change you into the woman He wants. The result will often be, surprisingly, that God will use you to change him. In other words, if you treat him as a king, he may well treat you as his queen. However, this dare not be her reason for wanting to respond correctly.

Every troubled wife feels she is the exception to the principles presented in such a fundamental book. The author does not ignore these and gives many illustrations and answers questions from various difficult marriage situations. She also deals with the difficult subject of sex in a clear but discrete way.

The fact that, at this writing, the book is in its 8th printing in four years is a strong endorsement. Though some churches have even banned it (!), the letters to the Pearls’ No Greater Joy Ministry telling of marriages that have been transformed as a result of reading and applying this book, speak volumes about its genuineness as a tool for women to see themselves as God designed them, not as inferior or superior, but as unique.

Debi Pearl is the author of multiple best sellers including Created to Be His Help Meet and Listen To My Dream. You can find out more on her website.