God blessed Adam with Eve – enriching his life in many ways. And certainly this is a blessing we should be grateful for everyday ourselves. But being blessed by the presence of Eve in our lives is not to put her on a pedestal, nor us in the mud. We must maintain a proper view of dignity for both.
For example, it’s right to honor our wife, treat her like a queen, and even appreciate the many ways she puts up with our rather human shortcomings. But it’s a mistake to then assume she’s perfect and without sin. And such a suggestion would be calling God a liar. It’s also not how Christ loved the church. While he willingly gave his life for her, it was not under the pretense that she was already glorious and without fault, but rather to love her so that she would become holy and without spot or blemish. In other words, she’s not assumed to be on a pedestal inherently worthy of praise.
Likewise, it’s good for us to humbly recognize our shortcomings, sins, and the many ways we might be rough around the edges. But this humility doesn’t require us to throw ourselves in the mud – concluding we’re unworthy to even be considered for marriage or that our wife is our “better half.” This is not how we’ve learned Christ. While he humbled himself to serve his Bride, he didn’t despise or otherwise look down on himself in the process. And our humble service doesn’t require needless self-flagellation either.
On the one hand, we’re not able to love Eve properly when we think too highly of her. While worthy of our love and devotion, she’s still on the way toward becoming more like Christ herself. In the same way, we disrespect ourselves and who God has created us to be when we think too lowly of ourselves. We must remember our dignity to continue bringing more life and goodness into the world.
In the end, be forever grateful for all the ways Eve makes your life better by her very presence. And remember this doesn’t require you to put her on a pedestal or you in the mud. Humbly serve without forgetting your identity in Christ.
