Hello Reader!
Last month, we began a new series exploring the biblical qualities sisters-in-Christ should seek in a man they are prayerfully considering for marriage. The only way we can rightly discern those Christlike qualities is by looking to the One who created marriage. So today, let us begin with the very first man God created: Adam.
Ladies, I invite you to dig deep and honestly answer this question: What kind of career do you picture your future husband pursuing? Perhaps this seems like a strange question to ask because his job may not seem very important. Yet, how often have you heard a woman (or even caught yourself) saying that one of the most important qualities in a future husband is that he earns a certain income? When we begin focusing on how much money our future husband needs to make, then the type of career he needs to have becomes part of the picture.
Let us do a little exercise. Imagine you are at a church small group or Sunday School class, and you meet a single man there. He tells you he is a plumber. What is your immediate thought? Now imagine another single man tells you he is a banker. What was your first impression? Please know that I understand how this may feel uncomfortable, but this exercise can reveal where our hearts are when it comes to what we hope our future husband will bring to the table financially.
Should our future husband’s job and income be at the forefront of our minds when considering a potential husband? To answer that question, Scripture gives us a different perspective. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Notice that there is no mention in this verse of how much Adam would earn from caring for the Garden of Eden. Nor is there any mention of Adam pursuing this work because it offered career advancement or financial success. Instead, this verse highlights two important truths:
- The Lord positioned Adam in the Garden of Eden.
- The Lord entrusted Adam to work and keep it.
This reveals that Adam’s work was not characterized by what he would gain from it. Adam’s work was rooted in the assignment the Lord entrusted to him. Rather than asking, “What does this man do for a living?” perhaps we should ask, “Why is he doing it?” The “why” behind his work can reveal the direction of his heart and who he is following.
Life changes and careers change, too. A man who is doing well financially today may experience unexpected hardships tomorrow, while another man who is just starting out in a new career may one day flourish. What matters most is not simply where he works, but why he is there. Is he faithfully serving where the Lord has positioned him, or is he pursuing this career for personal gain? Does he seek to honor the Lord in the work God has entrusted to him, or is his job merely a paycheck?
I know this may not be an easy perspective to embrace, but as Christ followers, it is a necessary one as we continue our journey together. The question is not whether a man has a respectable career or earns an impressive income. The deeper question is why he is there, because his motivation often reveals something about his walk with the Lord. A hardworking man is not simply one with an impressive job title. He is a man who faithfully embraces the work God has entrusted to him. Sisters-in-Christ, this is the kind of man who is worthy of your heart.
All Bible verses are from Holy Bible: English Standard Version