Tuesday's Tool - God's Intention for Eve...and Us

Proverbs 31:12 says, "She does him good and not evil All the days of her life."  This verse is referring to a wife/husband relationship. As wives, what are our intentions toward our husbands? We either have an agenda to do good or to do evil. So let's look at the first woman God ever created... Eve.  When God created Eve, He created her from Adam's rib. She was created for Adam's good: to give him fellowship and companionship and to be a help meet (which literally means "a help answering to him." -(Wycliffe Bible Commentary)) She would share his responsibilities in the Garden, respond to his nature with love and understanding AND co-operate with him in living and working out God's plan. (WBC) In other words, she completed him! Adam could now experience the joy of a family relationship. 

BUT we all know how this story ends up. Sadly Eve gets "knowledge greed" and decides that the best thing is to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Bummer. Then, not only does she blow it, but then she tempts her husband (does him evil) and the result is catastrophic... sin now has entered the world.

Oh I'm so glad I'm not like Eve ... but wait ... I am! I started thinking about my intentions toward my husband. Do I do good and not evil ALL the days of my life toward my husband? Do I speak words of life to him, words of encouragement? Do I serve him, find ways to help him and take a load off of him? Do I meet his love language? Or do I slander my husband infront of people OR behind the scenes? Do I focus on my own selfish desires instead of his? Do I pursue my own agenda instead of supporting his? Do I tempt him with gossip and plant seeds of bitterness in his heart? Do I gripe at him when he makes a decision? Evil may seem like a strong word, but simply put, it's the opposite of good. And that's your measuring stick - if you are not doing good toward your husband, then you are doing evil. Period.

Let's purpose in our hearts to be a Proverbs 31 woman. Let's purpose to do good and not evil to our precious husbands whom God has allowed us to come alongside them and be a help meet.  Will we blow it? Yes. If Eve did, we surely will.  But we get up and press on in the grace of God...