Let’s look in the book of Genesis for God’s desire for marriage.  God’s desire for marriage is a godly, orderly union that will bring glory to Him.  God said it is not good for man to be alone; amen?  So, He made him a helpmeet, and we know that the word “helpmeet” speaks of one that’s able to come along side and give ballast, give balance, bring support.  Ladies, understand what your role is and what your ministry is.  It is to bring support, not criticism.  Amen?  It’s to bring support and help.  It is to hold up that which your husband has declared as the course for your family as you’re serving in the kingdom of God.  Your role, then, is to be supportive of that, to lend your hand to it.  We talked a number of months—could be years back—about that aspect of submission.  We were sharing that true submission is not just stepping back and no longer trying to project your will but the will of those that are in authority over you.  We’re not only talking about in marriage, but we’re also talking about in the church, that institution that God has made, and those that are in authority that God has placed there.  You are not just holding back your opinion, you’re taking their opinion, their decision as your decision.  You become one with it.

That’s how we are able to support in a manner that brings glory to God.  Because isn’t that what it’s all about?  It’s all about God being glorified in His church.  God is to be glorified in our marriages.  Our marriages should be a testimony to our community.  When we’re out sharing the gospel, we just share so naturally about our children and our grandchildren.  Do you know how many homes have been split, divided?  We know, today, by the fact that people are so nomadic that they’re all over.  But here, we have our children and our grandchildren with us.  Can you say praise God for that?  That’s a miracle!  Most everybody has people running all over the world for their momentary pleasure and advancement.  Whether it might be a job opportunity, or we like the climate somewhere else better.  I sure wouldn’t be here in Northern Virginia if I was looking for the climate!  Or the cost of living’s better, so let’s all run to Tennessee or whatever, it might be to save a few bucks.  God’s made us one.  He’s made us one.  As a community, we’re seeing our children now imbibing that same spirit, and that’s what’s going to cause this lighthouse—this light on a hill to continue to shine until Jesus comes back.  So, we give Him all the glory and all of the honor for that.

So, He said, “Man, it’s not good for him to be alone.”  And Chapter 2, verse 18, says, “We’ll make him a helpmeet.  We’ll make him helpmeet.”  Now it says, “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl…” (Genesis 2:19).  We know that they were brought before Adam, and he named them.  Tyrannosaurus Rex, or whatever they might be.  But Adam was the one that was naming these animals.  And they brought every living creature before him, and yet, verse 20 says, “…for Adam there was not found an help meet....  And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;  And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh...”  Let’s stop and think what he’s saying here for just a moment.  There’s no inferiority here.  Every other creature that was made was inferior to Adam.  Woman was equal to him.  Woman originated from him.  They were one in kind.  They were both made to be friends of God and fellowship with Him in the garden.