For “Scripture Sunday”: Though, I am sorry, it’s late, as it is Monday today. On Sunday, I was busy talking to my son and daughter who called me for Mother’s Day.
Role of Women
“What makes a successful wife and mother? Where can you find a job description and practical principles for making the most of these challenging roles?
Human history gives a very confusing picture of the proper role of women in the family and in society. In some cases she is the dominant figure, while in many cultures and throughout much of history she has been viewed as second-class at best, and little more than property or chattel at the other extreme.
What did God really intend when He created Eve?
In the beginning …
The Bible gives many examples of women, including those who were righteous and those who were wicked, those who were strong and those who were weak. Through these examples, we can glean lessons about God’s intended role for the women He so lovingly created.
If we go back to the beginning, in Genesis 2:18, we see Eve was created after Adam as a “help meet for” (King James Version) or “helper comparable to” Adam. What does this mean? Was she just an afterthought?
After creating Adam, God gave him the task of naming all of the animals. It seems clear from verse 20 that this was to show Adam that none of them were “comparable” or suitable for him. To show Adam how special the woman was, God created her from a part of Adam himself—his rib, thus indicating that husband and wife truly are one flesh in God’s sight.
Then we read, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Together they were complete and whole.
A “help meet”
The expressions “help meet” or “helper comparable,” found in the King James Version and the New King James Version respectively, are sometimes viewed negatively. But God did not intend woman to be a weak or inferior person. The Hebrew word translated “help” or “helper” is used 21 times in the Old Testament, and most of those are in the context of the help that would come from God Himself. God’s help would not be weak or inferior!
The role God created for Eve was that of strengthening the family. Adam was not complete by himself, and Eve was given the ability to help him build that completeness. The woman’s role is not lesser or inferior, but it is different from the man’s. And God does not leave her without additional instruction in Scripture on her proper role.
Understanding submission
For many today the word submit is a highly offensive term. Some go so far as wanting to take it entirely out of their wedding vows, in spite of God’s instructions. Through the apostle Paul, God tells wives to “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). What does that mean?
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines submit as “to yield to governance or authority … to yield oneself to the authority or will of another … to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another.” Submission is yielding, consenting to the authority of another, in this case to her husband. Submission as God intended is something that must be given, not something that should be demanded or enforced. Within marriage, it is an act of love and respect!
God clearly gave the man the role of leader in the family (Ephesians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 11:3). It is important to note that husbands are charged with submitting to the authority of Christ.
God gives the husband further instructions for his role in the family, which we will discuss in the article on the man’s role below.
A wife is not to submit to her husband’s abusive or ungodly behavior, and a husband must not demand submission from his wife to yield to any of his abusive or ungodly behavior. But when both roles of submission are being righteously lived, it is far more likely that there will be peace and harmony in the marriage.”
Continues at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/family/role-of-women/
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Role of Men
“What is the proper role of men in the family and society? History reveals extremes from the family dictator to the bumbling sitcom dad. What did God design?
Society has many different ideas about what the role of men should be. But what did our great and loving Creator intend?
In the beginning …
To answer that question we need to start in the beginning, at the creation of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 2 we see that Adam was created before Eve. Adam was given the task of naming all of the animals. It seems clear that at least part of the purpose for this was to help him realize that none of these creatures were “comparable to him.” Every other creature had its mate; but Adam was at that point alone, the only one of his kind (verse 20).
After he was done naming all the animals, God then created a very special blessing for him—a woman fashioned from Adam’s own rib. The connection between them was undeniable. Together they had a oneness—they formed a family, a complete unit (verse 24).
New Testament instructions
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul very specifically outlined the leadership roles God intended within the family in Ephesians 5:23. Here we see that the husband is to be the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church. That sets a very high standard for men to live up to!
What specifically is this standard God expects men to live up to? Verse 25 makes two very important points. The first is that Christ “loved” the Church. There are many definitions for love. But one that would describe Christ’s love for the Church is “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).
The second point (which is an extension of Christ’s love) is that He gave Himself for the Church. What is described in these verses is authority as the head of the family and a commitment to fulfill the needs of the family. Jesus Christ demonstrated that real leadership and real love are self-sacrificing in order to provide what is needed to those who are led and loved.
The husband’s role is intended to be one of loving authority and not a harsh authoritarian role. And as a loving authority, the husband is accountable to God for the welfare of his family—physically, morally, spiritually and emotionally.
With understanding and honor
The apostle Peter adds to our understanding in 1 Peter 3:7. Here husbands are instructed to “dwell with them [their wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life.” There are three points made here:
1. The husband must dwell with his wife with understanding. Of course, this evokes many humorous comments because there are men who feel they can never “understand” their wives. Sadly, many husbands and wives simply do not take sufficient time with each other or even try to get to know each other well enough to “understand” what the other may struggle with or be going through. One-on-one quality time together is necessary, no matter how long a couple has been together.
2. What about the “weaker vessel” part of this passage? Women are generally smaller and not as physically strong as a man. So God is directing husbands to take care of their wives, to look out for, cherish and demonstrate tenderness toward them. When God created woman, He could have made her equal in strength and stature to the man, but He did not. Instead, He gave man the responsibility to protect, care for and give honor to her.
3. The third part of this passage is “being heirs together of the grace of life.” The Moffatt translation states, “You must honor them as heirs equally with yourselves of the grace of life.” The potential to be children of God in His Kingdom is the same for both men and women.
While God established certain roles for men and other roles for women in our physical families, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate one sex has more favor with God, or that one would have preeminence in the coming Kingdom. The relationship between husband and wife today should be harmonious and one of mutual love and respect, knowing that both are to equally inherit eternal life.
Role of a father.”
Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/family/role-of-men/
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Update:
Where do the weeks go?? Roy, my helper and I have made more progress in the mini-house. I bought a new laminate router bit, so we cut off the edge of the front and side kitchen counters. The sink and stove cutouts haven’t been done yet. Then we built the cabinet across from the sink side, but that hasn’t been Formica-ed yet. It will be for housing pressure cookers, crockpots and such large items, and there are several outlets along that 6’ section of wall. That is where the coffee maker will be to keep it out of the work area.
One day I even had time to go grocery shopping here in Willis, but I haven’t been into Conroe lately. I need to go soon as we need things from Lowes or Home Depot. Two mornings I had to drive into Willis to get Roy as his friend wouldn’t get up to bring him here because they had been night fishing.
Here are pictures of the lights we installed last week:
This is in the kitchen, the celing is white, but you wouldn’t know it by my camera!
The fixture is a brushed nickel finish to go with some other things in the kitchen.
This little flat light on the left, is in the closet as that ceiling is lower.
It is a florescent light.
Then this is the ceiling fan/light in what will be the bedroom. It has little butterflies on it
One thing that I splurged on when grocery shopping in Kroger was some Bisto. Shepherd’s Pie is British and it just doesn’t taste right without British Bisto gravy powder. So for the church potluck and I took my homemade Shepherd’s Pie made with ground beef, peas, carrots, Bisto gravy and the usual mashed potatoes on top. People were getting second helpings so I grabbed a small container and saved some to take home for Roy’s lunch the next day, as I knew he had never had it. He liked it too. Gary brought a chicken dish with German noodles, and the pastor’s wife made taco meat with all the fixin’s. We had pizza, too, and all the dishes were good, as always.
But the biggest surprise was when Jay, my former helper, called and wanted to go to church with me. Everyone there was so pleased to see him, and sober too.
One new thing that wasn’t a surprise, was that my daughter Wendy and son-in-law picked up their new white German Shepherd puppy from the rescue, all neutered and vaccinated. They still haven’t come up with a permanent name for him yet though. I suggested Ollie, like ‘Ollie the Donkey’ in the kid’s Christian cartoon because of the dog’s enormous ears, or Frankie for Sinatra because of his blue eyes, but Wendy seemed to like my suggestion of “Blanco”. We will see. He is getting along great, playing with their Australian Shepherd, Bowser, and he is another great joy for them. Bowser loves to go jet-skiing with them (with his life jacket on of course) and maybe the new pup will too. It is a three-seater jet ski.
One time, the tri-day place was my bathroom sink, so I had to wash my hands at my bathtub. Another time it was on my closed toilet lid fluffy cover, so I had to use the other bathroom. Then it was on my sweater shelf, and she pushed some on the floor. The back of the linen cupboard has had it’s turn, and a shoe shelf. I think she is trying to play games with me to see how I will react. I don’t like to disturb her as she is shy and just getting used to my place. This is her home, and she is welcome to go anywhere in this house except for counters or tables.
The Bible readings were Lev. 16:1-18:30, Eze. 22:1-22:19 and Rom. 3:19-28. The Teaching was about the Different Bible Translations.
Upon arriving at the church, I was a hurry to get into the dining hall to help the pastor’s wife and forgot to put up the windshield sunshade, so you know what the car felt like when we got back in it because it such a warm day, so Jay complained until it cooled down. He would complain if he was hung with a new rope!
There were two cakes at the potluck, one for a couple’s 50th Anniversary, and one for Mother’s Day.
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