"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.'" – Genesis 2:18
When God made woman to partner with man, He had a wonderful idea in mind, an idea so simple that many have faced troubles adding so much to it. Simply put, God meant woman to be a "helper suitable" for man.
A Suitable Helper
I'm sad that Genesis 2:18 has been applied wrongly among many Christian circles, probably because of culture, personal preference and comforts, or perhaps just a wrong understanding of what the verse meant to convey.
Here are some common mistakes in relation to God's creation of women:
1. Women, Or Wives In Particular, Are Only 'Helpers' Or Assistants To Men
I've seen many Christian men treat their wives as if the latter were born only for the purpose of supporting them and cleaning up after them. I'm not a feminist, but I can simply say that women aren't meant to be "cleaners" after their husbands. No. They're meant to be their husbands' co-labourer in Christ.
2. Men Are Meant For Leadership, Women Aren't
Again, I'm no feminist, but I don't believe the idea that women are meant only for supporting roles inside and outside of ministry life. The Bible gives us strong examples of women who did great things, such as Deborah and Priscilla. God gave them the ability to do great things either ahead of men (Deborah led Barak – see Judges 4) or beside them (Priscilla served God alongside Aquila, her husband – see Acts 18:18-28).
3. A Man Has To Be 'Compatible' With A Woman Before They Can Marry
"Suitable" might be interpreted as "compatible," but in reality what it really means is having a right "fit." God wants all husbands to be considerate of their wives and to adjust to their needs (see 1 Peter 3:7), just like how Christ loved the church (see Ephesians 5:25-33).
This simply means that single men who want to marry should not look for the "perfect" or "ideal" partner. Rather, the imperfect man must work on himself so that he can be a "suitable" partner to an imperfect woman that God wants for him.
So What's the Right Idea Here?
When God made woman for man, His idea was to create a suitable helper for him. He wanted the man to have someone he can enjoy being with as he pursues God in his life. And yes, God wanted man to pursue Him with his wife – both of them pursuing God as they live together and love each other.
They may not be perfect people, but they're perfect for each other. They may have flaws, but their union is made perfect by a flawless God who joined them together. They might not have all they ever wanted, but God designed them so that they could give to each other what they need. All these as they pursue Christ. That's what God wanted.
