The mistake many of us make is thinking that we are so unique that we deserve a reward. Think about it. Women often think, “I have a degree, a good job, and I am stunning, so I am waiting to be swept off my feet.” Similarly, men think, “I have a car, I have a house, I make six figures, and all of these make me a high-value man. The woman I pursue must have this quality, this quality, and that quality.” Social media and movies show us these extravagant marriages with high standards, and we admire how beautiful they are and anticipate that such will fall into our laps. However, this is not the case, my friends. Let’s look at what the Word says.
Genesis2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Other versions say, “cultivate it and tend it,” or “dress it and keep it.” Two events happen here:
1. God creates something good and beneficial to man. It is attractive, valuable, and essential.
2. He gives the things He made to man (Adam) and gives him dominion over them.
This means that it is our responsibility to ensure that what we receive–the things that are valuable to us or the things that attract us–remain the same as when we first received it. Adam dressed the garden and kept it looking beautiful as a place where God came to dwell and hang out. Adam’s work on what he had received kept the garden beautiful. Therefore, the same man or woman you see so beautiful or handsome now will not remain so without being dressed and kept constantly.
There is a quote by an unknown author, and it says,
”The beautiful things are not perfect.”
No one is perfect, but investigate your life today and look at your relationship. Now, think of the type of relationship you desire. Did you think of a video or a picture of a couple you saw on social media? When we do this, we overlook the work it takes to keep a relationship or a marriage looking like what we see from the outside. Though they are beautiful and desirable, they are not perfect. We are not perfect, and so we cannot expect our unions or relationships to be perfect, but they can remain as beautiful as we want and have seen them to be.
You have so much value because you are made in God’s image, but you must dress that value and keep that value, and that takes work, patience, learning, unlearning, and time. No successful relationship exists today that does not require constant work, time, and effort. The idea that something is perfect and therefore does not need work is a fallacious thought that needs to be humbled. To keep something beautiful requires upkeep and updates, so when we don’t want to learn, we can’t grow, which will consequently take a toll on the relationship. We discover new gadgets, try new restaurants, etc. Why not learn ways to communicate, engage, prioritize, and keep our relationships beautiful? It will never be perfect, but both of you in the relationship can be perfect for each other.
A beautiful thing is never perfect but dressing it and keeping it maintains its beauty and keeps it more attractive.
