The Truth about Relationships
The story I am about to share is a tale of true events. My significant other and I were coming back from an event one evening. We stopped at a restaurant we had never been to before, but it was highly recommended online. Once we stepped into the restaurant, we heard loud and obscene music playing from the speakers. But me being really hungry, I thought we could stay for a couple minutes to take the food to go. After a couple of seconds, I saw how my partner began to react to the music that was playing throughout the establishment. I saw how the music was bringing back unpleasant memories from his past. Once we received our food, we jetted out of the establishment and rode back to our destination in silence. When he finally opened up about the incident, conviction overtook me. In that second, I realized just how significant our actions play in each other's lives and walk with Christ.
The Significance of Women:
Women have the ability to bring men to Christ, or be a mechanism to steer men away from walking with Christ. In this story mentioned above, I recognized how this single event affected my partner. In Deuteronomy 7:3-5, the Lord commands his nation, Israel, that they should not marry women of different faiths, simply because the women would lead men astray to worship idols. The Lord hates idolatry, it goes against His first commandment that He gave to the Hebrew nation (Exodus 34:14). Idolatry is a tool that destroys the heart of man to worship false gods, it ultimately creates a strained relationship with the Lord provoking Him to jealousy and anger. Just like a regular relationship between a man and a woman, the Lord wants loyalty in His relationship with His children void of worshiping false gods.
Continuation of Examples:
In Deuteronomy 7, the Lord is displaying how women have the ability to influence men. Women who were a part of the nation of Israel helped their men live lives pleasing to God, as their union brought about more seed and offspring to execute the plan and purpose of God’s people. Whereas, women who were of different cultures, had no relationship with Israel's God. Resultantly, this led men being led astray and tempted to worship their foreign wive’s gods. One prime example is king Solomon, the son of David. Solomon was the wisest of all of the kings of Israel, he was blessed and favored by the Lord. But Solomon’s downfall was that he loved women from nations the Lord forbid Isrealistes to marry (1 Kings 11). Again, we can see how lessons from the Bible emphasize the role we women play in men’s walk with the Lord.
Tying Everything Together:
Although we women are not the primary cause behind a man’s walk with Christ, women can be a factor that influences a man’s life and his walk with Christ. In the scriptures mentioned above, we see how women who do not have a relationship with Christ can alter a man’s ways of living a godly life and vice versa. As I reflect on the story of the restaurant incident, I see how my actions impacted my significant other. Although I am a woman who has a relationship with Christ, I was putting my selfish gain above my partners. I was so hungry that I thought it was okay to sit through the inappropriate music. He felt anger and shame when remembering how he used to act before he had a relationship with the Lord. Simply, our actions as women matter in the kingdom of God. What we do for our men of God will either hinder or help their walk with the Lord. Relationships are not for those of us who want to live selfish lives. Marriage is the ultimate symbol of humility and submitting yourselves to one another (Ephesians 5:25-33). As women of God and Helpers, we are called to help our men of God by making sure they can follow the precepts the Lord has declared over their lives.
There is no Condemnation:
Lastly, as a child of God, I had to remember that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8). The Lord can forgive us for the sins and wrongful actions we have committed against each other. There is no need to feel shame for what we have done in the past, instead, let us not repeat our same offenses. This is to say that relationships should be honored and respected. You can positively or negatively impact a person’s salvation. So, remember this beloved, relationship with the Lord’s creation is a gift that should glorify your Father in Heaven.