Mary’s Mission: Made in His Own

MADE IN HIS OWN IMAGE

I WONDER WHAT it was like for Adam in the very beginning, before Eve was created. Since I am neither a Bible scholar nor a time traveler, I decided to come up with my own hypothesis through imagination along with scripture that speaks about Adam. Here is what we do know about the beginnings of Adam prior to Eve:

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Genesis 2:18

Unfortunately, scripture does not add a whole lot about Adam before Eve. I imagine Adam waking to God’s presence. How amazing is that! It’s hard to fathom the enormity of that moment. Then again, I wonder was God “God” to him? For us descendants of Adam, the thought of waking up to God is beyond words, but we are clearly not God’s first creation. I believe Adam definitely knew of God’s omnipotence, but I also feel he may have seen God as his friend. After all, is that not part of God’s reasoning for creating man, to have a companion of sorts? Although God did not need man as a companion, I believe He desired man, hence creation. God created Adam perfectly without sin. He was naked but not ashamed (Gen.2:25). Before Eve, Adam wandered the Garden of Eden where he wanted for nothing.

Scripture is not very clear regarding exactly how long Adam was alone prior to Eve. One Bible scholar stated 56 years, while another said it was mere hours. Either way, we know he was initially alone with God for some time. Imagine having literally everything you will ever need right in front of you 24/7, and the only thing you need to do is love and obey God. God met all of Adam’s needs, and He was his friend. While it all sounds amazing, God knew Adam needed another kind of companion - a human companion. More specifically, a female companion. I obviously do not know this for certain, but I believe God knew prior to Adam’s creation that he would need human contact, human love, and human intimacy.

Men today still need human contact, love and intimacy, namely from women. I not only have a husband, father, two brothers and eleven nephews but I have also counseled men for 20 years now. Here are just a few things I have come to know and understand about the “overall” man: (note there are exceptions): they are simple (please do not confuse this with stupid), literal, they have the same number of emotions as women but show few, they are linear thinkers, they have fewer thoughts than women, they place respect above love, they are innate providers, they often feel weak when they are unable to fix problems (especially those related to their wife or girlfriend), they avoid vulnerability, they are innate protectors, and they are proud.

mary’s mission

One significant issue I have counseled men on is the huge amount of stress they place on themselves as husband, provider, and/or father. Even though many households are dual income, I still encounter a number of men struggling with the stress of providing for their family.

Men are innate providers and protectors. When they feel they are failing in either area, the stress begins to mount. In my September article, I mentioned that middle-aged white males are the highest among completed suicides. Part of that reason stems from the lies men come to believe as their truths regarding themselves, namely that they are failing their wife or girlfriend and/or children. When a man believes he is failing in one or all areas of his life, he has emotions (remember men have the same number of emotions as women) that he is not comfortable sharing so therefore he holds them inside where they fester and grow until they have no more room, hence suicide or other destructive behaviors. God did not create us to be trash compactors; rather He wants us to bag up our “trash” and throw it out!

My brothers in Christ, I have a call to action for you that is quite simple yet very challenging. It is this: talk to someone. Tell them what you are thinking about regarding yourself, life, everything. Tell them your feelings even if you think you do not have any. Tell them your hopes, your dreams, and your failures. Just simply talk. Here is the other part of this call to action: choose this person very wisely. One thing I see both men and women do is choose the “wrong” person to express themselves to, and when this person betrays their confidence it is easy to say, “You see! I told you that you can’t trust people!” When seeking the “right” person, look to a friend, family, partner, pastor, counselor, or coworker. Take the time to find this person and allow yourself to be vulnerable. I feel so confident in this suggestion that I can promise you that you will feel better. Almost instantly. Now, stop reading and start talking!