To Be Alone or Not To Be...Is that the Question?

In reading the creation account from Genesis, I noticed two things. One, that God created Eve because He said that it was not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). This got me thinking about Paul. Paul stated in the New Testament that if you can remain single then that is best. He even refers to it as a gift (1 Cor 7:7). If this is so, why would God say that it was not good that man should be alone? Isn't God the same yesterday, today, and forever? Yes, He is. And God knew that it would take ALL kinds to make the world go around. He created male and female, not just for companionship, but for procreation. He told them to go forth and multiply! As a side note, He did not tell two women, or two men to go forth and multiply! When Noah was commanded to take the animals onto the ark, He said to take a pair--male and female-- to keep them alive during the flood. Obviously, God is clear on the whole issue of homosexuality. However, companionship can come to same sex relationships. Paul was a classic example of that with Barnabas and Timothy. He traveled in his ministry with other men, and so, I see that this is a healthy same sex relationship.

The other thing I noticed was that God told Eve that child birth would be hard as a result of eating from the tree of knowledge, but He also said that she would want to control her husband and so, she would be ruled by her husband (Genesis 3:16). From personal experience, I can say that this attribute manifested itself in me. I've always said it would take a strong willed man to "rule" over me. In my married life, I was the picture of an obstinate Eve. I have no problem honoring the male leadership in my church, but when it got personal, not so much. So from this, I have deduced that remaining single is a good thing for me. Not that I do not feel the need to be submissive to a man, but because I need to learn how to live single and be submissive to God Himself!

So the question we ultimately should ask ourselves, both male and female, is not whether we are to be alone in this world, but are we submissive? Man should be submissive to God, and his wife submissive to him. My experience has been that the men I married were not submissive to God and I was leary of being submissive to a man that wouldn't trust God. If fault needs to lie somewhere, it ultimately falls to me. First, I should have been aware of the submission princple prior to marriage. I did not choose a mate according to his relationship with God (mistake number one). Second, I should have been obedient to the Word of God and been under my husband, as I am the weaker vessel, regardless; and possibly my husband would have felt the respect he needed and got in line with God.

It all comes down to choices. Single/married or obedient/obstinate. Ultimately, it's all about submission. Whether you are married or single, are you submissive to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? That is the question.