Being a Good ‘Thang’

“… And God saw that it was good.” Over-and-over-again during the six-day creation, God repeated this statement after specific segments. Finally, after speaking everything into existence (…and it was so), He made a final analysis of His creation; it was not just good, but indeed, it was VERY good. “31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” Gen. 1:31.

After God allowed Man to make a ‘go of it’ (life without a comparable helper), He saw that it was not good. The first negative in the garden. 18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Gen. 1:18. God had created everything from the earth, but woman was uniquely designed and created from the rib of Adam. Rib in the ancient Sumerian language means life. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Gen. 1:22. Again, God had created another life from the living.

Eve was created comparable to Adam, her husband. The Lord had given Adam a precious gift… a helper, a wife, a ‘good thang’. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and receives favor from the Lord”. How significant, vital, and essential is the wife to marriage, to her husband, and to the Lord. This is not only an important position, but a powerful one.

Wives, we have been described as a ‘good thing’. We were created to make the life and existence of our husbands good. Our husbands need us. It is difficult in life to ‘go it alone”. God gave Adam & Eve both a charge, to have dominion (radah) over the earth and to subdue (kabash) it. As our husbands exercise their rule over the earth, by making it a safe and productive place for their fruitful offspring, i.e. humanity. wives, we are helpers in this charge, even down to the subjugation of it, especially when things get out of hand.

God handed Eve to Adam. She was a gift. We are a gift to our husbands, whether it was a divine setup or a permissive mess-up (disobedient choice). Wives are good gifts and we should understand the sweetness of such a position as a form of stewardship. The outcome should bring God glory and the betterment of His creation.

What our husbands need: a friend, a helper to respectfully encourage him agriculturally, environmentally, and/or vocationally, a partner to speak words that adds to his life not tear him down or subtract. They need a listener, not someone to talk, talk, talk, and talk, yet failing to listen and hear him, (ladies, please… silence is golden) too much talking can become an irritant. They need a wife to feel safe enough to express tender emotions that may produce tears, a physical partner to desire him and to express it, a recreational partner to release energy and laughter. Last, but not least, a spiritual partner, one who prays with him, but has her own personal prayer life to stand in the gap when he gets weary and falters. That can be a tricky assessment; sometimes this can appear as one thing and means another. Always, the key is reconciliation. After all, that is our ministry; we are called to be peacekeepers. We must seek forgiveness (giving and receiving), all covered by grace. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” Romans 12;18. Finally, never keep score. Scorecards are unreliable and one-sided.

This is not an inventory… only the quintessence of a portrait of marriage. I could go on and on. I know you have more examples of what it ‘look likes’ to walk out being a ‘good thang’ and a God given gift to your husband. Marriage is beautiful, don’t allow anyone to tell you differently, that’s what I call false teaching. Marriage is not easy, but it is possible. Lord help us all!

The journey flows…