This morning, I began a new Bible reading schedule. I will share more about that in the New Year. However, I was struck by something this morning, which I felt would be a good thing to share, at the end of an old year and the dawn of a new one, looming on the horizon.
I love how I can read a passage that I have read countless times before, and still be struck by things in a new perspective. God is a good God.
I was reading the first 3 chapters of Genesis this morning. Truly, they are PACKED with amazing truths, and essential doctrine. I could share dozens of important truths, but this one just particularly struck me.
Throughout chapter 1, we read of God speaking all things into life.
"And God said..."
God simply spoke, and all things came into being, by the power of His word. It's astounding, amazing and incomprehensible to our puny minds. And yet, we know it as truth. Indeed, to doubt it is to err.
That's the part where my brain kicked in, and God showed me something so important.
We take it as truth, and relevant and important, and doubtless, that God's word of command created all things.
Should we not then take as crucial and important truth, the words that God spoke that apply to us as women, in those first few chapters? Should we doubt the verity and importance of believing THOSE words to be truth.
For this to make sense, I need to remind you what those words are, which are relevant to us.
For some reason, women of today - CHRISTIAN women of today - doubt that part of God's Word to us. We don't doubt that, by His Word, all things were created, but we want to doubt the relevance and truth of the words above. The first spoken before sin, the second spoken after. NEITHER made redundant at ANY POINT throughout scripture.
Putting them side by side shows me of the contrast between our relationship as husband and wife, comparing pre and post-sin.
The first words that God spoke relating to our existence at all, were relating to the purpose of our creation. It was the first point that God did not say that "it was good". He says that "it is not good". What was not good? It was not good that man should be alone. So, God in His infinite wisdom, and His perfect plan, made woman - a "help meet". Or, an "aid mate". "Helpful counterpart".
A suitable helper.
We were created to complete man. So that we, as a couple, would be whole together. That as man and wife we would be the perfect unit. One is not complete without the other.
We live in a world today, which diminishes the completeness of the union between a husband and wife. We are led to believe, that EVEN IN MARRIAGE we can function as individual units. 2 people, happening to live under the one roof, who can do their own thing, and be their own person - separate from their spouse. That the wife does not need to be that help and aid to her husband. That he has to somehow muddle and guddle through on his own, whilst the wife waltzes off doing her own thing whenever, and however, she pleases.
THIS IS NOT GOD'S PLAN FOR US.
We were created to be one.
If that means we have to set aside the pursuits of our single life, prior to marriage, in order to be that help and aid that our husband needs, SO BE IT.
If it means we have to put our selfish desires aside, in order to be a loving, helpful, caring and God honouring spouse, SO BE IT.
Why should the wonder of God's word of creation, be any less as God's Word of creation for our marriages? That Him creating the perfect world is amazing, but creating the perfect union is to be dismissed as not relevant.
This year, I want to be reminded daily of the wonder of God's Word for my marriage - that I was created to be a perfect helper and aid to my husband.
That's God's Word to me.
The second "words" to us, are after the fall. They are part of the outworking of God's curse upon humankind. This is the contrast to how God created our marriage to be, and how it became following sin entering the world. And, the words that relate to us as women are a bitter pill to swallow. Somehow we muddle through, and stoically accept the pain involved in pregnancy and child-birth.
"Ah, well, it's all part of the curse, and we just have to endure it. It doesn't last long, and we get a baby at the end."
That saccharine approach somehow disappears when the words "he shall rule over thee" are mentioned.
Our sinful hearts rebel against THAT part of the curse. Having to submit to the headship and authority of our husbands is a somewhat more bitter pill to swallow. It's a command that directly relates to the part that Eve had to play in The Fall. She went off, under her own steam, doing what she thought was right. Tempting her husband into doing the same thing. Him weakly accepting. Under the curse, the men are to do the ruling, and we are to be the ones to submit.
It's a CURSE. It's not meant to be easy. Our rebellious hearts squirm under the command. We scream inside, wanting to still do our own thing, bucking against the instruction to submit.
And yet, in God's grace and goodness, we have further instruction in the New Testament, which makes it a bit easier to bear. We are reminded that under that umbrella of headship, we are under the headship of Christ. We are obeying His command, and we are able to give up the burden of leading and guiding the family, to our husbands. What a huge task they have to bear. How glad I am that my role is simply to submit, and not the one to have the responsibility to lead. How I pray for my husband in that huge task. Give me child birth any day. Ok, maybe not ANY day....
God's word brought this earth into being.
It brought us into existence.
It gave us our purpose.
It gave us our curse.
All God's Words having equal relevance and importance, we then need to embrace His Words to us, as much as we wonder at and give credence to His Words of creation.
My prayer is that we all would seek God's strength and grace, this year, to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.
I love how I can read a passage that I have read countless times before, and still be struck by things in a new perspective. God is a good God.
I was reading the first 3 chapters of Genesis this morning. Truly, they are PACKED with amazing truths, and essential doctrine. I could share dozens of important truths, but this one just particularly struck me.
Throughout chapter 1, we read of God speaking all things into life.
"And God said..."
God simply spoke, and all things came into being, by the power of His word. It's astounding, amazing and incomprehensible to our puny minds. And yet, we know it as truth. Indeed, to doubt it is to err.
That's the part where my brain kicked in, and God showed me something so important.
We take it as truth, and relevant and important, and doubtless, that God's word of command created all things.
Should we not then take as crucial and important truth, the words that God spoke that apply to us as women, in those first few chapters? Should we doubt the verity and importance of believing THOSE words to be truth.
For this to make sense, I need to remind you what those words are, which are relevant to us.
"It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."
Genesis 2:18
"and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
Genesis 3:16
For some reason, women of today - CHRISTIAN women of today - doubt that part of God's Word to us. We don't doubt that, by His Word, all things were created, but we want to doubt the relevance and truth of the words above. The first spoken before sin, the second spoken after. NEITHER made redundant at ANY POINT throughout scripture.
Putting them side by side shows me of the contrast between our relationship as husband and wife, comparing pre and post-sin.
The first words that God spoke relating to our existence at all, were relating to the purpose of our creation. It was the first point that God did not say that "it was good". He says that "it is not good". What was not good? It was not good that man should be alone. So, God in His infinite wisdom, and His perfect plan, made woman - a "help meet". Or, an "aid mate". "Helpful counterpart".
A suitable helper.
We were created to complete man. So that we, as a couple, would be whole together. That as man and wife we would be the perfect unit. One is not complete without the other.
We live in a world today, which diminishes the completeness of the union between a husband and wife. We are led to believe, that EVEN IN MARRIAGE we can function as individual units. 2 people, happening to live under the one roof, who can do their own thing, and be their own person - separate from their spouse. That the wife does not need to be that help and aid to her husband. That he has to somehow muddle and guddle through on his own, whilst the wife waltzes off doing her own thing whenever, and however, she pleases.
THIS IS NOT GOD'S PLAN FOR US.
We were created to be one.
If that means we have to set aside the pursuits of our single life, prior to marriage, in order to be that help and aid that our husband needs, SO BE IT.
If it means we have to put our selfish desires aside, in order to be a loving, helpful, caring and God honouring spouse, SO BE IT.
Why should the wonder of God's word of creation, be any less as God's Word of creation for our marriages? That Him creating the perfect world is amazing, but creating the perfect union is to be dismissed as not relevant.
This year, I want to be reminded daily of the wonder of God's Word for my marriage - that I was created to be a perfect helper and aid to my husband.
That's God's Word to me.
The second "words" to us, are after the fall. They are part of the outworking of God's curse upon humankind. This is the contrast to how God created our marriage to be, and how it became following sin entering the world. And, the words that relate to us as women are a bitter pill to swallow. Somehow we muddle through, and stoically accept the pain involved in pregnancy and child-birth.
"Ah, well, it's all part of the curse, and we just have to endure it. It doesn't last long, and we get a baby at the end."
That saccharine approach somehow disappears when the words "he shall rule over thee" are mentioned.
Our sinful hearts rebel against THAT part of the curse. Having to submit to the headship and authority of our husbands is a somewhat more bitter pill to swallow. It's a command that directly relates to the part that Eve had to play in The Fall. She went off, under her own steam, doing what she thought was right. Tempting her husband into doing the same thing. Him weakly accepting. Under the curse, the men are to do the ruling, and we are to be the ones to submit.
It's a CURSE. It's not meant to be easy. Our rebellious hearts squirm under the command. We scream inside, wanting to still do our own thing, bucking against the instruction to submit.
And yet, in God's grace and goodness, we have further instruction in the New Testament, which makes it a bit easier to bear. We are reminded that under that umbrella of headship, we are under the headship of Christ. We are obeying His command, and we are able to give up the burden of leading and guiding the family, to our husbands. What a huge task they have to bear. How glad I am that my role is simply to submit, and not the one to have the responsibility to lead. How I pray for my husband in that huge task. Give me child birth any day. Ok, maybe not ANY day....
God's word brought this earth into being.
It brought us into existence.
It gave us our purpose.
It gave us our curse.
All God's Words having equal relevance and importance, we then need to embrace His Words to us, as much as we wonder at and give credence to His Words of creation.
My prayer is that we all would seek God's strength and grace, this year, to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.
Beautifully written. So very true that we complain about something so simple. I am currently pregnant with our sixth and I am all the while saying, "I don't want to do this again." Don't get me wrong, I love children and I would gladly add more to the house afterward, but pregnancy is difficult for me. I can't handle the fatigue and nausea. Anyway, I strayed there...
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but notice a few weeks back, just how much my hubby knows and does. His to do list was diminishing faster than I could imagine. I can't even make a to do list because each and every day is so different. I guess it's hard to see how much I do, but I know I do a lot. I do those things which are my responsibility. Yet, even then, I wonder if those things even get done. I have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. He does. He can look and see what he has accomplished each day.
Seems strange to me. Anyway, I just want to say thanks for your words. They were great reminders. I truly believe in the Bible in it's entirety. We can't pick and choose what to believe. It's all or nothing.