She Does Him Good: Stay Close to Him

by Janis Shank

Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for man to be alone...”

I am not sure singer Jack Johnson had this verse in mind when he composed...“It’s always better when we’re together...”, a catchy tune that has a way of replaying in one’s mind long after the song is over. But he is right (check it out if you’ve never heard the song Better Together, it's cute)

It was God who composed the first “better together”. Here is the sequence. Man is created and declared “very good”. Man is alone and it is declared “not good”. God then creates another being, a helper, from his rib to be like him, as the solution for the “not good”. Thus began togetherness, companionship and oneness between man and woman as God’s design for marriage. As my husband’s helper, how can I cultivate this “good”? These thoughts are far from an exhaustive survey of this verse and the purpose of marriage, but are only intended to encourage and inspire your own thinking. I offer two helpful reminders.

Hold him close in heart attitudes and thoughts. Review over and over our love, admiration, esteem, respect and the honor it is to be his wife. I find cultivating this togetherness in thought makes me long for his company, whether in the busyness of life or sharing a quiet moment. This often leads to intoxication (see last week) and this makes my husband happy! I also find this a helpful antidote to critical thoughts, which can be a temptation and an enemy of togetherness. Following the wisdom in Philippians 4:8; “whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise...think about these things”, results in togetherness!

Move toward him, joining and supporting him each day. This can be as simple as asking how his sermon preparation is coming along, or how he has experienced the Lord on a given day. It my mean reviewing his preferences or discovering how the demands of family and ministry are affecting him. Finding a way to practically serve him may be needed. Encouragement, a topic worth its own post, is always a way to support him. Find all the ways you can to put those “together thoughts” you are thinking into action! Being at his side through all the seasons of life, and finding it to be the best place to be, is a source of true companionship and honoring to God in the calling for which we were created!

If alone is “not good” and “together is better”, let’s look for as many ways as we can to cultivate this simple good!