Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Family: A Recreation of Relationships
“For this reason a man will leave his
father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
God created Adam out of the dust of the
ground, and some time later Eve. We are created for one another.
Humans need each other. God said it was not good for man to be alone,
humans need to be in fellowship with humans, there must be a mutual regard
among humans, and we are all commended to love each other. Before Eve was
created, Adam was alone accompanied only by the animals that God had
created. God knew that Adam would not be able to find fulfillment
or completeness with animals. Moreover, in verse 18 “complete loneliness
made for an imperfect life. Therefore God created Adam’s perfect
companion, Eve. Here we discover that Adam and Eve were created for each
other. They were created equally to bear God’s image. They were
created equally to share life together. They were created equally for
companionship for partnership and for friendship.
When Eve was created, Adam was in a deep trance. In fact, Adam contributes very
little to her creation. For this reason, Eve is not indebted to
Adam. Although she is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, her being
is her own, as his being is his. God created each individual to be
uniquely different from each other. Certainly, one thing God wanted to
show Adam was that his wife was entirely unique—created like himself unlike the
animals. Unfortunately, many men have never learned this truth.
They treat their wives as if they were capable of handling only life’s three
“D’s”: dishes, dustpans and diapers. In this earliest instance of
premarital counseling, God teaches Adam that a woman is not to be treated as a
servant, but rather, a true companion of man.
In our scripture, we discover three
truths about the relationship of Adam and Eve. First they were created
for each other. Second they were different from each other. And
third, they were given to each other. God created Adam out of the dust
and created Eve out of Adam to show us that we were created for one another,
both for fellowship, and in a greater sense to complete each other in
marriage. St. Paul writes about true love and relationship in 1
Corinthians 13. This love is patient and kind, it rejoices in the other’s
well being. This love is not possessive, not resentful, not jealous, not
demanding of its own way. When a husband and wife share this Christ-like
love they encourage and celebrate each other’s individual interests, talents,
abilities and success.
Prayer:
Almighty God we thank You for creating us with a need for
each other and with a fulfillment in each other. May this life give us joy and
hope as we wait for you and serve You until you call us home.
Thought
for the day: We are created for one another
Thomas Rajan, Long Island Mar Thoma Church, NY