1 Corinthians 11:8-12

⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; ⁹ neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰ It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

DEI

Does your company use (DEI)? What is DEI? Diversity, Equality, Inclusion! DEI has wholesome purpose for everyone, great and small alike to have fair opportunity in the workforce. DEI accommodates everyone but may overlook the advancement of a productive program. Who prefers to work at a company that may accommodate everyone else and not concerned if it gains profit or not?

In this world, we can never satisfy anybody. In this world, people complain against unfair treatment. Yes in this world, everybody can never escape painful experiences; everyone has struggles. I hope you intellectually understand and accept that in this limited world, contentment is temporary. Why? It is because the true and everlasting contentment is forever reserved only in eternal heaven.

Together, let us meditatively reflect on what it says in Revelation 21:4.

⁴God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

So that we won’t endure the pain of failure anymore, why does God not take us into heaven now? The wonderful plan of God for humanity cannot easily conceptualize by limited human brain. But it is also a practice of faith in him that we trust his plan for our betterment, no matter how dramatically difficult for us.

Kitten

There was a video published online that shows a kitten walking next to a fishpond. The kitten was so amused of the school of fish swimming in the pond. The kitten fixed its eyes on the fish as it walked along the bank of the fishpond. As the school of fish swam, the amazed kitten followed them curiously.

Unaware of possible danger of wrong step, the kitten fell into the water. The confused kitten tried to swim. But in split second, its mother cat quickly came to its rescue and carried the kitten away from the fishpond. The kitten must be very thankful that its mother cat came to its rescue. Interestingly, the mother cat was watching but didn’t prevent its kitten from amusement at the fish in the pond.

Likewise, fascinating things in this world attract curiosity. And not everyone is mindful of dangers that may possibly happen at any wrong step. But the Lord allows us to be amused at his creation; he also allows us to commit wrong steps. Nevertheless when we cry for his help, the Lord is quick to rescue us.

The Lord designed everything in heaven and on earth for us to be eternally thankful to him. And, we will be more grateful to the Lord when Christ returns and takes us into eternal safety in his heaven. Let’s reflect on Revelation 4:8-11:

⁸Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” ⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

The heavenly image is so glorious and causes endless delight for believers inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. Do you wish to personally sense in this world and partially catch such fantastic glorious moment of experience with the Lord? Prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to produce praise and gratitude in your heart.

Summer offers creative activities. Anyone can find amusement anywhere. Builders of amusement parks may have experienced amusement that they want costumers to enjoy, and they can also make profit from it. People pay the price just to have unforgettable moments they can publish on their online account.

Certainly, God is the ultimate and eternally creative Creator. He himself is delighted that he had created amusement for us to enjoy in heaven. Could you imagine how eternally fascinating the amusement God created for us in heaven?

1.  Create

⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; ⁹neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 

Previously, Apostle Paul instructed that as practical symbol of respect to their head, Christian women in Corinth should cover their head when they pray. The head of wife is her husband. And to cover their head practically symbolized submission of wives to the authority of their head, their husbands.

God had designed his creation in orderly manner. First comes first. Man was created first and then the woman. It’s for the sake of man that God created the woman and not otherwise. What does it imply? Does it imply that man is more important than woman? Did God say that woman is less important than man? Interpretation that is not literally mentioned in the Scripture is arguable. Anyway, can we agree that God created humanity in orderly manner? I hope so.

Innocent mind

We can agree that husband and wife get married because they love each other. But husbands and wives may quarrel that could confuse the innocent mind of their children. One child asked her parents if it is natural for husband and wife to quarrel or argue. What do you think her parents told the innocent child?

Quarrel or argument is painful ingredient of married life. Is it avoidable?

Can husband and wife avoid quarreling and not argue? Someone said that the secret of their marriage is agreement in everything. Did they agree to disagree?

Well we can learn from the painful experience of Abraham and Sarah.

Together, let us meditatively reflect on what happened in Genesis 16:1-4.

 ¹Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; ²so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

Sarah was formerly called Sarai. Interestingly, the name “Sarai” means commander, chief or captain. Sarai commanded Abram to sleep with her slave. She may have thought, “I should help God to fulfill his promise of a son to my husband Abram.” Her decision looked smart to them, but it gave them confusion that has continued among their descendants. But after God changed the name of Sarai to Sarah, she stopped acting as commander to her marriage with Abraham.

The name Sarah means “princess” which suggests elegance; Sarah was exemplary in submission to her husband Abraham. Together, let us reflect on what it declares in 1 Peter 3:5-6, ⁵For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

It’s possible that wives are scared that husbands may abuse their authority over them. Wives willingly submit to husbands only as practice of faith in Christ.

As practical proof that holy women of the past put their hope in God, they submitted themselves to their own husbands. Sarah exemplified submission to Abraham; she obeyed him and called him lord. Can you accept that God created man first and woman next for harmonious relationship between married couples?

Harmonious relationship in marriage brings glory to God our Creator.

Husbands: Pray that God gives you wisdom to love your wives just as Christ loved the church. Wives: Pray continually that the Lord blesses you with harmonious relationship in your marriage and do not give way to fear.

Husband and wife can agree to have harmonious relationship. Submission to one another reflects that husband and wife are codependent with each other.

2.   Codependent

¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 

In contrast to discord, codependence builds harmonious relationship in marriage. Husbands and wives should agree when making major decisions like: where to reside, vacation, travel or join short-term mission or fulltime ministry.

Anyway, Apostle Paul passed on as Christian tradition in Corinth for wives to cover their head when they pray, as symbol of respect to their husband. So why did he say that it was because of the angels, that he gave such tradition?

Why angels were the reasons that wives should respect their husbands? Does it mean that angels are watching how married couples submit to each other? Why are angels concerned about human relationship? How should we interpret what had been declared in Hebrews 1:14, (ICB) ¹⁴All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.

Angels deliver God’s blessings to Christians at the right moment, not late, not early. Most often when we pray for blessing, we want it immediately, right? Angels release blessings from the Lord according to his design of the situation, and not according to what we may think as appropriate moment of need.

Daniel

Most often, we hope that God prevents calamities, problems or difficulties.

Yet, God let Prophet Daniel be thrown into the lion’s den. If God prevented it, the testimony of Daniel may have been narrated differently. Imagine this: King Darius was very anxious that Daniel may have been devoured by lions. Daniel testified in Daniel 6:20-23. ²²My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” ²³King Darius was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

God created everything for his glory. The Lord created woman for the sake of man, not otherwise. It is godly design for harmonious relationship. When wives willingly respect their husband, they practice faith in God. If husbands behave in worthy manner, and their wives respect them, they build harmonious relationship; they respect and honor God, and angels release their blessings accordingly. Likewise, husbands and wives are codependent for harmonious relationship.

Husbands: We pray that the Holy Spirit inspires us to exemplify behavior and attitude worthy of respect. Wives: Pray for stronger faith in God that his design of order brings harmony in your relationship. Parents: Prayerfully ask God to inspire your family to regularly come and gather together for prayer.

3.  Come

¹² For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

Who is more important before God, the husband or the wife? It is not smart to ask who is more important before God. First, God created man; next a woman, and after that, mankind is born of woman. God intellectually arranged his creation in orderly design. God intellectually creates and designs everything. He created woman from the man, and after the first couple, God designed that all humans are to be born of woman not man. Have you ever pondered about that?

It narrated in Genesis 2:22-24, ²²The Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. ²³The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” ²⁴That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Marriage

Someone asked: “Do parents have the right to decide about who their child should marry?” What do you think? If children value their community, they should value cultural practices also. Sometimes cultural practices can be trivial, but it has been observed that belonging to community is beneficial to social health.

In some eastern cultures, parents arrange the marriage of their children.

Abraham sent his master servant to find and bring a wife for his son Isaac. The father of Leah and Rachel, Laban arranged their marriage to Jacob. Pharaoh King of Egypt gave a wife to Joseph. And King David chose his wives.

About who should choose your spouse is not literally straightforward in the Scripture. So, whether husbands personally choose their wives or not, whether husbands seek confirmation from parents or not, do you strongly agree that God allows everything for a reason? Reflect on what it declares in Romans 8:27-28:

²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

If you are undecided if you marry someone or not, if you are not sure if you stay unmarried or not, if wives are not comfortable submitting to the authority of their husband, if husbands needs wisdom to behave according to orderly design of God for married couples, we seek guidance from the Holy Spirit of God.

We prayerfully ask for increase of faith and inspiration of the Holy Spirit so that whenever we take practical step in our decision, we sense joyful peace as confirmation that we are personally practicing faith that God allows our decision for our own benefit. As we love the Lord, we want to know his purposes for us.

Together, let’s reflect on what Apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17,

¹⁷I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

><((‘> .. ><((‘> … ><(((“> tmed\2024 <“)))>< … <‘))>< .. <‘))><

We pray for stronger faith in God for us to obey him diligently. We pray that we always rely upon his Holy Spirit; and as we grow spiritually mature, we also grow in our confidence that everything comes from God for his good purposes.

We prayerfully ask the Lord to inspire us to be diligently prayerful and faithfully obedient to him always as we patiently wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to take us into heaven. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus Christ!