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"Your desire shall be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16
This verse in Genesis can cause some serious emotions. When God gave this command to Eve, He meant it for all of us married women. Not just ones with certain personalities.
I Googled to see if I could find any other translation of that verse....none. They all said the exact same thing. Hmmm.
God is serious about this one.
This is how it applies to me, my heart, and my marriage....
I have often put many other desires over the desire for my precious husband. For example, being a mother. This has many times become my most prominent desire. It can tend to overshadow any and all other desires. I can get way out of balance with the amount of time and attention I give my children, and end up leaving my groom in the dust--where he came from.[a little Genesis humor] ;)
As I read the verses in Genesis about how Eve was created, and why she was created, I felt a tiny little nudge on my heart. God was gently and sweetly reminding me where I came from, and where my purpose is found.
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18
Ahhhhh. There it is. Once again. I was created to be my husband's helper. Not his commander. Not his conscience. Not his mother.
His helper.
As I look back over the course of my marriage, I wince. I have not always been Lem's helper. I have not always submitted to his desires for our family. I have been stubborn at times. [many times]. I have been demanding at times. I have been a nag at times.
When my desire is not for my husband, but for other things, I forget my role as his helper.
I forget why I was created.
I deny my purpose that God Himself designed me to be.
However, when I am reminded of God's plan in marriage.....
When my heart softens to His Word and His Command for me.....
I melt in peace.
Peace that surpasses all understanding.
How can being a helper to my husband, being his biggest fan [even when he doesn't deserve it], and letting him be my desire be beneficial to me?
Because it's God's Plan.
God gave us this command, and He knows what is best for us. He knows what works. And what doesn't work.
When we forget our God-given role as wives, we can find ourselves full of strife, discontentment, bitterness, anger, pride, and rebellion.
The struggle within our marriages can be difficult because submission goes against the grain of our very flesh nature. It is in direct opposition to our flesh. Submission requires meekness and humility. Two very lacking qualities in our world.
Here is the battle within my head: "I don't want to submit. I don't want to honor him. I don't want to help my husband. Why can't he help me?"
However, when I remember my purpose and submit to my husband's authority, the strife melts away. The heavy weight of being out of God's will for my marriage crumbles.
Then, I can breathe.
His plan is so much better than mine.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9-10
a content helper,
jill
Want to subscribe to receive SHINE emails? Go here.
"Your desire shall be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16
This verse in Genesis can cause some serious emotions. When God gave this command to Eve, He meant it for all of us married women. Not just ones with certain personalities.
I Googled to see if I could find any other translation of that verse....none. They all said the exact same thing. Hmmm.
God is serious about this one.
This is how it applies to me, my heart, and my marriage....
I have often put many other desires over the desire for my precious husband. For example, being a mother. This has many times become my most prominent desire. It can tend to overshadow any and all other desires. I can get way out of balance with the amount of time and attention I give my children, and end up leaving my groom in the dust--where he came from.[a little Genesis humor] ;)
As I read the verses in Genesis about how Eve was created, and why she was created, I felt a tiny little nudge on my heart. God was gently and sweetly reminding me where I came from, and where my purpose is found.
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18
Ahhhhh. There it is. Once again. I was created to be my husband's helper. Not his commander. Not his conscience. Not his mother.
His helper.
As I look back over the course of my marriage, I wince. I have not always been Lem's helper. I have not always submitted to his desires for our family. I have been stubborn at times. [many times]. I have been demanding at times. I have been a nag at times.
When my desire is not for my husband, but for other things, I forget my role as his helper.
I forget why I was created.
I deny my purpose that God Himself designed me to be.
However, when I am reminded of God's plan in marriage.....
When my heart softens to His Word and His Command for me.....
I melt in peace.
Peace that surpasses all understanding.
How can being a helper to my husband, being his biggest fan [even when he doesn't deserve it], and letting him be my desire be beneficial to me?
Because it's God's Plan.
God gave us this command, and He knows what is best for us. He knows what works. And what doesn't work.
When we forget our God-given role as wives, we can find ourselves full of strife, discontentment, bitterness, anger, pride, and rebellion.
The struggle within our marriages can be difficult because submission goes against the grain of our very flesh nature. It is in direct opposition to our flesh. Submission requires meekness and humility. Two very lacking qualities in our world.
Here is the battle within my head: "I don't want to submit. I don't want to honor him. I don't want to help my husband. Why can't he help me?"
However, when I remember my purpose and submit to my husband's authority, the strife melts away. The heavy weight of being out of God's will for my marriage crumbles.
Then, I can breathe.
His plan is so much better than mine.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9-10
a content helper,
jill
