We went to the book of Genesis and discussed the roles given to Adam and Eve, their responsibilities, and the punishment for their disobedience. As we read, we went into deeper understanding of their consequences. It is interesting to read the many interpretations of Genesis 3:16, which describes Eves consequences for her part in the act of disobedience.
On the one hand, there are some who say Eve's consequences would give her the desire to rule or dominate her husband. Others say that the consequence was that her punishment would be that her desire would shift from being God focused to Man focused- that she would desire for her husband to fulfill the needs that God is supposed to fulfill and with that comes the sin of idolatry.
Now, I'm not a theologian, but the latter seems to make more sense to me. I say that because in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul speaks of being single versus being married and one of the reasons he says to remain single is because in your singlehood, your mind is set on the things of God and you have the opportunity to freely serve without any shift in your attention. But in marriage, your thoughts are to please your spouse and so your attention is divided.
I know for me personally, I took a sabbatical from serving in ministry when I got married. My focus was making our house a home first, whereas, when I was single, I was at the church doing whatever I could to serve others in whatever capacity I could. My focus was more on serving God and His people versus serving my husband and his needs. So I guess that's why the latter interpretation of the consequence makes more sense to me.
It's funny, as I was gathering my thoughts to write my final paragraph, I ran across this post from Pastor Evans:
There is so much emphasis on marriage and family in the church that many single men and women wonder whether it is possible to be single and satisfied. Well, it is not only possible to be single and live a fulfilled life, it is sinful to be otherwise. That is, if you are single and unhappy in the role God has given you, you do not yet have a complete handle on God’s Kingdom view of singleness. Unfortunately, the church has helped fuel a sense of incompleteness by its great emphasis on family. There is nothing wrong with emphasizing family. There is something wrong with making singles feel like second-class citizens in the kingdom. In fact, we pastors often unconsciously fuel the discontent of single believers by helping singles to cope with their singleness. God doesn’t simply want single people to cope. He wants them to succeed. Someone has said that marriage is like flies on a screen door. Those on the outside are trying to get in, and those on the inside are trying to get out. As a pastor, I often talk to singles who are frustrated because they’re not married. Then I meet with married folks who are frustrated because they’re no longer single. The point is that both single and married people need to stop trying to cope with their marital status and start living for the kingdom. I’ve been married more than forty years, so single readers might wonder how I could understand the pain and struggle they are feeling. I agree that I am not an expert on the single life, so I reference two people who were—the apostle Paul and Jesus Christ in this helpful, FREE downloadable eBook: Single & Satisfied. Get yours here: http://go.tonyevans.org /single
I couldn't remember exactly what I'd planned to write once I saw this post (darn that Facebook! lol) and I may have gotten a little bit off the subject but I felt led to share the post here. I think it speaks volumes.
Anywho, regardless of the interpretation of the consequences for Eve's disobedience, I think the point is that our desire should be on the things that God wants, whether we're married or single. We shouldn't get distracted from serving because of things or people. Of course, don't neglect your family, but find a balance that will honor Him in all that you do and everything else will fall into place.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
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