To the woman he said,“I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.”
Into the Text
The consequences of disobedience were earth shattering for both Adam and his wife. For Eve, the resulting curse was two fold.
First, increased pain in childbirth. This is central to the unique ability that we have as women. Humanity couldn’t continue without procreation. Conceiving, growing, and birthing children is a miracle. Never have I understood more deeply the love and sacrifice of God toward me than in the throws of birthing my children. It’s a painful reminder of God’s life-giving sacrifice for us.
The second curse is painful, too, but in a different way. This phrase “you will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you” is shocking. God hadn’t designed Adam to be dominant over Eve. He was to be the leader and she his helper, but there was to be a partnership and oneness between them.
However, when sin entered, this marital harmony was destroyed. It’s easy to see that the issues of “dominance” and “control” are at the core of many marital conflicts.
It’s important for us to understand these conflicts as part of this broken world. But God doesn’t leave us there. In the New Testament, He shows us how the results of the curse can be overcome in Christian marriages. He calls wives to submit to their husbands (not to control them) and husbands to love their wives (not to dominate them) (Ephesians 5:22-33).
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can change. We can stop fighting for power in our marriages and surrender to the leadership of our husbands. We can pray that our husbands will follow God and that we will joyfully follow them as they follow Him.
Prayer
Lord God, help me to love and respect my husband. Holy Spirit, convict me of any area I’m disobeying you. Empower me to break the effects of the curse in my life. Amen.