“Two Are Better Than One”
Standing “beside” every good man is a wise woman whose love inspired him to become a great man during a crucial age and critical stage of his personal development. Please note that this wise woman is not standing behind, nor in front of, the inspired man whose life she is enhancing. Why?
Real men choose to treat women as equals. Real men refuse to abuse women. Real men refuse to relegate women to subservient positions. As a man, I know that I’m a much better person because of my wife, KWiz, and the plethora of wise, godly women who have contacted me and impacted my life over the years.
According to Ecclesiastes 4:8 NIV
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
God knew how much the first man, Adam, would need the assistance of a woman. As evidenced by Genesis 2:18,
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (emphasis added)
Can it be that the same rings true for a woman? How many of you honestly believe that it is also not good for a woman to be alone? How many times have you personally heard a woman say,
“I don’t need no man!! I can do bad all by myself?”
or
Men are nothing more than “sperm donors.”
How many of you have ever personally said that, thought that, or believed that to be true? What tragic, traumatic event happened to make you feel that you didn’t need a man? Do you still feel the same? If not, what happened to change your mind?
How many people in your circle of friends can you turn to, or can turn to you, in times of need? Who depends on you when they’ve fallen only to discover that they can’t rise to their feet absent the assistance of another? Have you ever been hospitalized because of a high risk pregnancy or incapacitated because of cancer, a long term illness, or a debilitating physical injury?
Did you have a faithful, reliable, trustworthy person standing by your side? If not, how did it make you feel to know you were all alone? After your recovery, what did you do to ensure that you would have the help you needed in the future? If yes, was the person you sought help from male or female? Did their gender make a difference or did it even matter as long as you received the help you needed?
So, what’s the significance, or the relevance of the person’s gender who’s helping to heal me? Our life experiences, both individually and collectively, do affect our perceptions and personal beliefs about the particular people we choose to trust, to love, to ask for help.
How difficult it must have been for Eve to risk exposing her weaknesses and vulnerabilities to Adam after he made her his scapegoat. How difficult has it been for you to dismantle, tear down, or break through the emotional walls your peers helped you to erect just to protect the deeply wounded soul of your broken heart from harm? Are those walls still standing? What will it take to inspire you to tear down these walls?
Do you ever wonder how Eve must have felt towards Adam after he “blamed” her for his lack of leadership, for his failure to protect her from the persuasive words of the “Original Down Low Brother,” for his deliberate act of disobedience? Do you think Eve could stand before Adam “naked and unashamed” as easily as she did before the fall? Reading Genesis 2, “The Creation Of Man And Woman,” will prepare you for our next discussion.
It’s difficult for a woman who been traumatized and victimized by a man to accept help from another man as evidenced by the previous statement
“I don’t need no man.”
It makes a difference if your Mom was the only person who took the time to teach you how to interact with men in professional settings, how to handle abusive, misogynistic men who sexually objectify women just for fun? If you grew up in a home without a “father figure,” how easy is it for you to turn to a man when you need help?
God willing, and if the creek don’t rise, we will begin digging deeper into the lives of the women in the Bible to see how they responded to God’s love, grace, and mercy. So, please feel free to invite your family, friends, and peers to join us and actively participate in the early stages of our developing discussion.
Hopefully, each of you will enjoy your personalized journey as we explore the individual lives of the 52 women who have been highlighted in the book, Women Of The Bible. This treasure chest disguised as a book was birthed by authors Ms. Ann Spangler and Ms. Jean E. Syswerda.
Any and all suggestions and comments are welcome and will be respected at all times. When all has been read, said, and done, it’s my prayer that women and men who hate to love each other will begin to realize just how much women and men really do need each other.
According to Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV
“9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Together, we can make a difference. Will you help? I hope so.
Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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13 comments May 9th, 2007
