Talitha Cumi Events

in society’s version of what is supposed to happen and how issues are resolved. This reading is for both women and men who really want to begin to change their negative thoughts regarding the male-female relationship.

I would say that 95% of the men I have dealt with are Christians. I am still not dating nor am I married to either of them. Why not? We, at the time, ignored the guidance of God and followed the examples of society. I know none of us are perfect; therefore no male-female relationship will be. However, the Bible gives us an outline for the male-female relationship, with rules, policies, and procedures to deal with the issues in relationships.

Too many of us would rather be able to justify our misgivings about the opposite sex by blaming our failed relationships and marriages on:

1. relationships we did or did not have with our mothers and fathers, or
2. relationships we had with former spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, or
3. growing up in certain environments.

However, when it is kept in context, how God instituted the male –female relationship in the book of Genesis, that is, how God put Adam to sleep and took a rib to create Eve, his partner, then one can begin to see that the male-female relationship, including marriage, is not a mistake. To say that it is a mistake is to negate God’s sovereignty. To negate God’s sovereignty is to say that He is not who He says He is and there is no reason for the Christian to believe in Him. Now I know that some of you Christians reading this will want to argue about who was right or wrong in the relationship with Adam and Eve. The point I am making is that before we get to the right or the wrong in relationships, which will be dealt with in Scriptures, we must acknowledge that God instituted this concept and that it is a “good” thing.

If it is a “good” thing, then why is there so much chaos? As Christians, married or dating, Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not follow after our own thinking. I know we have a free will. But couldn’t we exercise the free will by doing and saying more positive things in relationships than negative? Couldn’t we exercise our free will by communicating and knowing who is at the head of the relationship?

Let’s deal with positions in a relationship. Unfortunately, society will have us define the “head” of the relationship as the person who makes the most money. This is one of the major problems in a relationship. I have heard men say that the woman should be submissive and the women have said that they shouldn’t have to be under anyone. Let’s clear this up from God’s point of view. In the book of Ephesians, read chapter 5. Go back and re-read verse 21. Stop right there. God established that He is the first to be submitted to. Our disobedience to God truly proves to be worse than sacrifice. Look at the divorce rate. You will hear that most marriages end because of problems with money, infidelity or love. That’s the band-aid effect. If we look deeper, we will see the disobedience to God eventually leads to dissolution of marriages and dis-illusioned people. What disobedient behavior am I speaking of? A few of the disobedient behavioral activities I am speaking of include the disobedience dealing with submitting to God; the disobedience of tithing; the disobedience of adultery; the disobedience of love; the disobedience of self-discipline. Our disobedience leads to destruction. In this case, destruction of relationships and eventually families, which leads to the disenfranchisement about the “good” thing that God has instituted.

Let me end by saying that the cure or anti-virus for the destruction of the male-female relationship is and has always been God. Who better knows how to combat the dis-eases associated with relationships than the Creator? Let us remember to seek God out for guidance, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge. Read Psalm 37. God is always waiting on us to do our part so that He can do His.