Genesis 2:18-25 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s rib and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,' because she was taken from ‘man.’”
Women were made to be a help, not a hindrance.
Hmmm...This one is a little tricky. There is a fine line between a necessary reminder and just nagging. I don't know what your house is like, but I can pretty much guarantee that if the response to your "reminder" is, "I know, you said that already!" you have probably stepped over the "line" and you have become a nag. Once in a while is understandable, but if it happens daily, you should probably take the hint. Not to be rude. Not at all. I do it... I shouldn't do it... I'm working on it.
Nobody likes to be nagged. Not your husband. Not your children. Not you. Not me. So why do we do it? I suppose the argument could be made that, "they don't do what I say the first time I say it." But I think the real issue is a control problem. Don't get mad. I'm in the boat with you.
The desire to control our husbands actually comes as part of the curse from the fall of man. Genesis 3:16, "Then he said to the woman, 'I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.'"
I know the pain of pregnancy and childbirth is a curse. (Little blessings, but my goodness!). But the interesting part of this verse is that the desire to control our husbands is part of the curse too. Your mama probably didn't teach you that. What she probably taught you is how to manipulate your husband with food and sex and if that doesn't work, bark orders and demean him until you get your way.
The reason why the desire to control our husbands is a curse is because that is a desire that we actively have to learn to die to everyday. The reason why we are not supposed to control our husbands is because, in essence, that's their job. They are the ones God has called to lead us and our families. They are the ones that have to take responsibility for everything that happens in the household. When we fudge the line and try to do it ourselves, we are ruining God's order to things. Thus, making our marriages less fruitful, less enjoyable, and not even close to as meaningful or miraculous as God intended.
Your husband will make mistakes. Sometimes he will miss the garbage truck. But the argument is not worth ruining your marriage over. You've probably got some "buts" rolling around in the back of your mind, "But if I don't tell him what to do until he does it, it won't get done." "But he's lazy." "But, but, but." I don't care. I'm not talking about his problems, I'm talking about yours. Yes, he has issues that need to be dealt with. Try a little encouragement instead. Let him struggle through it a little bit. Once he realizes that the dirty clothes he leaves in the middle of the floor don't make it into the washing machine and he doesn't have any clean underwear, he will learn to put it in the laundry basket. You don't need to tell him every time. Proverbs 25:24, "It is better to live in a corner of the rooftop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife." That's kind of a punch in the guts! I don't mean to be so harsh, but this sin is in my own life and I hate it.
I guess the challenge for us today and everyday is fairly evident. Surrender your desire to control and enjoy your new found freedom.
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