Help Wanted: Complementary Women by Barbara Rainey

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

Wives have always found it difficult to live with what they want most: a husband. What we, as women, need perhaps more than ever, is a clear mental picture of our responsibilities as wives. The social changes brought about by the women's movement have been significant, but they have created a wake of grassroots confusion.
In the midst of our twentieth-century experience, God's design for husbands and wives still stands. And I believe that one clear scriptural part of a wife's role is completing what is lacking in her husband. In the words of Genesis, this involves being a helper that is "suitable" for him. Or, as the King James Version says, a help that is "meet" ("fit") for him. We are to complement or complete our husbands.

I love the story told about Pete Flaherty, mayor of Pittsburgh, and his wife, Nancy. They were standing on the sidewalk, surveying a city construction project, when one of the laborers at the site called out to them. "Nancy, remember me?" he asked. "We used to date in high school."

Later, Pete teased her. "Aren't you glad you married me? Just think, if you had married him, you would be the wife of a construction worker."

Nancy looked at him and said, "No, if I'd married him, he would be the mayor of Pittsburgh!"

God has designed women to help their husbands become all that God intends for them to be. As I fulfill my God-given purpose as helpmate to my husband, it helps build oneness between us. If I don't, it means tension, troubles and eventually, isolation.

Duke's Comments: A helpmate is the most prized gift a husband can possible ever be blessed with in their life. Wanda is my helpmate and many times she informs me I am running on a flat tire and need to get the car back on track. God uses the women’s "affective side of life" view to help us men be able to better communicate our feelings. How does your wife redirect your thoughts and activities?

Prayer: Ask God to weld you and your husband/wife into partners who realistically understand one another's needs and gifts.

We respect your privacy. If you do not wish to continue receiving newsletter from us please click here to unsubscribe from our mailing list.