Motivate Me Mondays~The Extraordinary Mother~Eve

My dear Pastor's Wife gave me the book The Extraordinary Mother by John MacArthur for Christmas this year and I found it to be so encouraging that I am now reading it again and would like to share it with you. This book features 12 women/mothers some who are not even named in the Bible, encouraging us to remember that no matter what else we do in life, nothing makes a woman more extraordinary than her faith. Some of these women are great examples of godly virtue, some have significant flaws and by no means are all of them perfect, but ALL teach extraordinary lessons. Some we know waited many years on the Lord to give them children, some were just a mother by behavior, some raised children of great faith, others were dissappointed...ALL teach us something valuable about what makes a woman extraordinary. Please join me as we learn about these extraordinary mothers and allow the Holy Spirit to prick our hearts with these lessons and open our eyes to see what truly makes a mother extraordinary...and its not her pot roast!!

EVE

The Mother of all the Living

Genesis 1-3

Have you ever stopped to think about the amazing work of our God in the creation of Eve. She was made with our Creator's own hand with very careful attention to detail and care. Adam was just dirt but Eve was formed by the hand of God and was what completed creation. She was Adam's partner created just for him who made him complete. The Bible says Eve was the living embodiment of humanity's glory (1 Corinthians 11:7). God had truly saved the best for last!! Scripture never gives a physical description of Eve, the focus is strictly on Eve's relationship with her Creator and her husband. Yet we all know that she was beautiful, pure, and created perfectly by our maker's hand. She was flawless. As "the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20), Eve is a major part of humanity's fall and redemption. Yet in all of Scripture, her name is used only four times...4 TIMES...can you believe??? How can "the mother of all the living" be so unmentioned, so vague, so UNimportant. We don't know how many children she had, how long she lived, or even where and how she died. The focus of Eve is not her beauty, her purity, or her perfection...it is her role of "companion" to Adam, the essential unity that is the ideal in every marriage, and what the meaning of husband and wife is designed to be. It is a physical union, but also a union of heart and soul. Eve was designed to be a mother, comforter, nurturer, and helper, not to be beautiful, perfect, flawless. This probably doesn't jive with 2009 women's rights, but it is what God's own Word says! This is why I believe the Lord talks so little about her, because her physical attributes were not important. What happened in her day to day life was not important. God doesnt focus on those things, God focuses on her role and relationship to Adam and to Himself. Looking at the fall of man, Satan obviously singled out Eve and waited for the time when she would be away from her husband, out of his watchful sight and unprotected by his loving arm. She was vulnerable, just like all of us women are each and every day when we are away from our husbands physically, emotionally, or even mentally. This little crack of an opening is all Satan needs to destroy us. EVE WAS DECEIVED IN THE PERFECT PLACE BEFORE SIN HAD EVER ENTERED THE WORLD. What do you think could happen to us in this sin filled world we live in. She was led by her natural desires such as appetite, aesthetics, and curiosity. None of whihc are sinful urges...but when the object of the desire is sinful, our natural passions become sinful...and it can happen in the blink of an eye! Eve didn't mean to disobey God, it just kind of happened. But what did that one mess up cost her? EVERYTHING!! We know that Eve was then cursed by the Lord. As Genesis 3:16 records, the Lord said, "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." These things are of course things that we see in our daily routines and to think that there was once a time with childbirth was undiluted joy is very foreign to us. It is also easy to see the gender role struggles today in our culture. But in all of this, the sin, the disobediance, the fall of man, the curse...God showed much grace to Eve and to Adam, who was ultimately responsible for his wife. She was able to remain his wife, able to remain his partner, and she kept her role as the mother of all living. She could still bear children and so the human race began, and even though she set the entire world of evil in motion, through her offspring, she would still produce a Savior. As we look to Eve, lets remember that our focus in God's eyes is not our beauty, outward appearance, material possessions, or even how clean our house is and how well dressed our kids are. God sees us as our husbands' partners and as obedient teachers raising our children to love their Creator. Let us be aware of how easily we can be deceived in our day to day lives and how close of a watch Satan is keeping on us. Look at the damage he caused when he deceived Eve and imagine what he could do if he could sink his claws into us!! Next week we will look at Sarah...A picture of faith in God's Promises! If you would like to be a part of this study, subscribe to my blog and never miss a thing. I would love to have you along with me on my journey to becoming An Extraordinary Mother!!