By Pat Morley
My co-worker F shared this:
After God made man, He noticed two problems. The first was that it is not good for man to be alone. The second was that the man needed help to accomplish the lofty goals He had for him.
God "formed" man with specific purposes in mind, as a potter molds a vessel into the shape he wants. He stamped man with an identity, a replica of his own image. He commissioned the man to rule, fill, increase and subdue the land. God hired the man as a landscape maintenance worker, wrote his job description, and told him to guard, protect, and attend to God's garden.
But He realized the task was too big and too lonely for the man to go it alone. So here's what He did (humorous version).
God said, "OK, I can see that it's not good for this man to be alone. Now how can I solve this problem? I know! I'll give Adam a pet dog and name him Rover. He will be man's best friend.
"No, that won't work," God continued. "He needs a friend, but he also needs a helper.
"I know what I'll do! I'll give him a workhorse. No? OK, maybe an ox. No, that won't work either. True, he needs a friend and a helper, but he also needs someone to talk to. Hmmmm...
"I know! I'll make another 'man', and they can watch football together, talk about cars...
"No, that won't work. He does need a friend and a helper and someone to talk to, but he also needs someone to help him subdue the Earth...
"I know! I'll start a company and give him co-workers to help him care for the garden!
"No, no, that won't work. The garden is not the only place where the man needs help. He needs help at home, too, and he needs help to fill the Earth with others like him. This man, look at him! He needs help everywhere!
"Let's see. He needs a friend so he won't be alone. He needs a helper both at work and at home. He needs a companion to talk to. And he needs someone to help him make little men. Hmmmm...
"I know! I've got it! I'll make a woman!"
So, God did two things: He made a woman, and He instituted marriage.
Marriage is a mysterious, spiritual fusion of two distinct lives into one flesh. What state was the man in before woman was taken from his body? He was alone and needing help. The creation of woman and marriage was always anticipated by our omniscient Creator as a way to solve these problems.
One of the greatest needs a man has besides the need for companionship is the need for support. Men express this need with words such as "more understanding, support, encouragement, trust, safe haven, appreciation, respect, affirmation, acceptance, feel important. "What husbands are saying is, "Help me out here" and "I need some encouragement."
A letter I received from one dear man will show you what I mean. He writes, "Please allow me to share what I feel is important for women to know about men.
"Wives, we are not nearly as emotionally strong as we put on. Yes, we are decision makers, but we often struggle with even simple decisions. Yes, we are great hunters, warriors, and competitors, but we desperately need strong encouragement and support from our wives.
"God has blessed me with a beautiful bride of 13 years who knows how important that encouragement is to me. Recently I had to leave town on a business trip for one week. My wife hid a note in my luggage, knowing I would find it at the end of the day when I unpacked in my lonely motel room.
"It reads, 'I love you, Honey! Thank you for being such a special husband. Someone who cares about his family enough to get up at early hours and go to work to support them. A man who spends much of this time and energy with his son and his friends, teaching them. A man who spends time with the Lord each day to lead us in Christ.'
"I don't share this out of pride but thankfulness...It remains in my Bible, and I read it whenever I need that encouragement boost."
This note may seem like a small thing to some of you, but not to the man who keeps it in his Bible. His wife's words of encouragement are so significant he keeps them right alongside the Word of God to refer to in his time of need.