Eve helps us to become a better man – inspiring, challenging, and partnering with us to move toward God’s best. But, while she is a gift from God, we must still practice the right orders of love. And this means we must listen to and obey God over Eve.
Adam was placed in Eden and instructed by God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But after Eve was deceived by the serpent and ate of this fruit, she gave some to Adam and he ate it too. He made a decision to practice greater loyalty to Eve rather than to remain faithful to God’s instructions for them. And his decision brought sin and death into the world that still haunts us today.
While the consequences for our marriage might not be as dramatic or costly as the Fall of humanity, this is a sobering lesson for us all the same. Our first loyalty should be to God, above all others, including our wife. And it’s not enough to merely claim this as true; we must also put it into practice.
All too often, like Adam, we simply defer to Eve in the heat of the moment. Perhaps we’re tired and just don’t want to fight, and so it’s easier to just give her whatever she wants. And maybe many times the issue is unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Deferring in these moments might be a sacrifice we’re willing to make to bring more joy into her world.
But we must also have the wisdom to discern, and the courage to stand firm, when God has called us to move in a particular direction – whether in our work, our kid’s education, family finances, or the like. We move, or wait, as we look to God and follow his lead. And we invite much unnecessary suffering into our life and relationships whenever appeasing Eve becomes more important than pleasing God.
In the end, Eve brings invaluable wisdom and insights into your story. And your first duty is still to listen to and obey God, even over and against Eve.
