Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. Genesis 2:22

Okay, feminists, hold on to your hats. It might get bumpy. Take a deep breath and try to make it to the end because this might not be as bad as you think. If we’re gonna understand the scriptures that talk about gender roles in the home and church, we have to start at creation. Unless we know the how and why of God’s gender assignments, we’ll resent the what and who later on. Notice that God created the man first. The Lord walked and talked with Adam before Eve was ever brought onto the scene. But Adam was lonely in a way that even God couldn’t fill. So Adam’s loving Father gave him the best possible gift—a woman. She was like the man in some ways, but tantalizingly different in others. Such a priceless gift revealed the Father’s heart.

In order to understand all the implications of that, let’s put it in different terms. God’s gift to Adam is like a father who gave his beloved Ferrari to his 16-year-old son. He expects his son to treat this generous gift like the treasure it is. Junior will have to grow up and learn responsibility if he is to be worthy of such a gift. If the boy takes good care of it, the car will retain its value. But if he’s a spoiled brat and drives the car into the lake, he has destroyed his greatest treasure and his father’s trust. When the Bible tells us that Eve was a gift to Adam, that’s what it means. She wasn’t a toy for him to play with and discard. She was a Ferrari that he was expected to treasure. A husband’s role is to value his wife like a man values a Ferrari, instead of treating her like a battered Dodge. A wife’s role is to see herself as a Ferrari and refuse to behave like a battered Dodge (Prov. 31:10-31).

Final Thought:  Men: How well do you treat the women in your life? Women: Does your behavior demonstrate your worth?

Prayer: Father, help me to value the people in my life the way you do. May my actions toward them reflect the worth you’ve given them. Help me to stop fighting against gender roles and embrace who you’ve made me to be. In Jesus’ name, Amen.