A Woman's Influence
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:1-7 NLT
http://bible.com/116/gen.3.1-7.nlt
My husband and I will joke with each other sometimes. In playful humor he'll say, "Hey, it was a woman who got us into trouble in the first place. Eve ate us out of house and home! Haha!"
Unfortunately, though, my husband is right. Eve was deceived, ate the fruit, and then gave the fruit to Adam. Oi! What influence she had on him because she was his beloved and he trusted her.
As a wife, I don't always realize the effect and influence I can have on my husband. He values my opinion and listens for my perspective, and I must never forget that. I must remember Eve's mistake. In her personal life, she started listening to the wrong voice. She let herself be swept away by the enemy - away from Truth and into his den of lies. And with a mind of confusion, she acted and then influenced her husband to make the same bad choice. Not a good day in Paradise.
God values women very deeply. As wives, we are not less valuable compared to our husbands. We are equally valuable. And God has made us to come alongside our husbands and be partners - which is represented when God chose to make Eve from Adam's rib (his side). Our decisions, our perspective, and our personal relationship with God can have tremendous effect on our husbands. Like being in a three-legged race - everything one person does will directly influence the other person.
The question for us wives then is this: What are you bringing to the table in your marriage? Are you like Eve who personally got off track and influenced her husband for evil? Or are you building your life on the Rock of Truth so that your actions are pleasing to God and your influence is always toward Love and with the fear of the Lord? Never underestimate your position of influence.
God values women very deeply. As wives, we are not less valuable compared to our husbands. We are equally valuable. And God has made us to come alongside our husbands and be partners - which is represented when God chose to make Eve from Adam's rib (his side). Our decisions, our perspective, and our personal relationship with God can have tremendous effect on our husbands. Like being in a three-legged race - everything one person does will directly influence the other person.
The question for us wives then is this: What are you bringing to the table in your marriage? Are you like Eve who personally got off track and influenced her husband for evil? Or are you building your life on the Rock of Truth so that your actions are pleasing to God and your influence is always toward Love and with the fear of the Lord? Never underestimate your position of influence.
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