RULE AND DISTRUST ~ MARRIAGE BEDFELLOWS
Christine Wyrtzen
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16
The consequences of sin are so far reaching. Because of the sentence God pronounced on the man and woman in the garden, their relationship with each other changed. Where once there was respect and harmony and a complementary working relationship, now there would be a deep fracture of distrust. Because of the fall, women would struggle to respect man’s role and men would be bent to abuse his authority and crush the woman. The compulsion to do both would be in the very sinful DNA of both sexes.
We hear the fallout everyday. “No man is going to tell me what to do!” a wife says. And, “The old lady has me under her thumb!” says the husband. The fracture can be understandable as, by nature, man wants to dominate and woman is afraid to trust. The farther both are from Christ, the greater will be their sin patterns.
The only remedy to the battle of the sexes is for both to find peace with God. The battle has no solution outside of that because at the center of the sex war is a greater battle between them and God. A people without peace ~ can’t be peaceful. A people without eternal rest ~ carry their angst into every relationship.
Is it really possible for a man and woman to live as the man and woman in the garden? Prior to the fall? The answer is ‘yes, for the most part.’ It will not happen without each one coming to Christ for the cleansing of their sin. It will not happen without each one engaging in the work of sanctification. It will not happen without each one putting to death the deeds of the flesh and submitting to God in all things. It will not happen without the man and woman learning to submit and trust their Creator. In doing that, they become like Christ. Men become ones who can lead without ruling and women respond to become ones who can let down their guard to respect and trust.
I used to fear Your rule, Lord. I was filled with distrust. It has taken time for me to experience Your character and leadership. Now, I’m putty in Your hands. Amen
Originally published Thursday, 29 November 2018.
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