Genesis Week 4

In our 4th week of our study of Genesis in BSF, God has spelled out in His Word his creation, His intentions through His creation, and the relationship He desired to have with humanity.

God created man…man didn’t come from animals or from anything else. God created man out of the dust of the ground and breathed life in his nostrils. (Genesis 2:7) He created man in his own image…male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27) Let that sink in…we are made in the image of God. We all bear the image of God. We are not gods, but we are patterned after God.

I find that pretty amazing!

Since we are created in His image, we are to glorify Him in our lives. When our teaching leader asked, “How   does your life glorify God? How are you reflecting God?” in her lecture, it was good to think about that in every area of my life…

My work. When we glorify God in our work, it will become an act of worship. Every calling is a sacred calling. We were encouraged to rethink our work and really focus on glorifying God in whatever work we do.

My role as a wife. God created woman in Genesis 2:18-25 from one of Adam’s ribs. No animal or creature was found fit to be a good helper for Adam. So God created someone just right to fit man. She corresponds to man perfectly. He made a helper for him. Adam rejoiced with God brought the woman to him, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

A woman is to be a helper to her husband…to help him fulfill God’s purpose for his life. She helps him be the head of the household, in the way God designed marriage to be. The wife is to be submissive to her husband, not to be a doormat, but to be lovingly submissive. And allow him to be the head of the household. The husband has even more responsibility than the wife…to bring out the best in his wife, his children, his family for the glory of God. Ultimate love is giving of man and woman of themselves for the benefit of each other. The husband and wife are to complement each other…one man & one woman. Closeness, intimacy, oneness on every level of their being.

I couldn’t help but examine my role as Bill’s wife. Do I bring out his best? Do I do my part in allowing him to answer God’s calling to be the head of our home? Do I help Bill be all God has intended him to be? Am I his greatest encourager, his greatest helper? I think it’s important for every husband and wife to examine such questions.

When we understand that God created man and woman in His image to have a relationship with Him and to glorify Him, our perspective on life changes. Or at least it should. Who are we to say we know better than God? Really? We don’t. God’s design for our lives, for marriage, for creation was perfect!

On to week 5!