I have been focused on the subject of "Becoming One" for several weeks by looking at the life and marriage of Adam and Eve found in Genesis 2:24. I have focused on the topics of the Designing Of Oneness and The Developing Of Oneness. In this Marital Moment, I will draw your attention to the thought of The Damaging Of Oneness. Although oneness was designed by God and developed over time by married couples, it can be greatly damaged by simple mistakes. Adam and Eve literally had everything going for them and yet they ruined it by mistakes and failures. The following thoughts indicate how they managed to Damage The Oneness of their relationship. (1) By Listening To The Advice Of The Enemy. Genesis 3:1 states that the "serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made". The word "subtil" means to be cunning, crafty, or to be clever. With crafty, clever words Satan slowly eroded the happy home of Adam and Eve. By listening to Satan and following his advice you can destroy your home. Satan will always try to get you to do anything and everything con-trary to the principals of God's word. Whenever you partake of his foolish notions you always pay the consequences both in your heart and home. God instituted the marital relationship and Satan always seeks to distort or destroy anything God created. (2) By Allowing Your Fleshly Desires To Control You. Genesis 3:6 states that "when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that is was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof". Eve allowed her passions to control her behavior. Your flesh must be conquered if you are going to have a secure and happy home. You must not allow your fleshly and worldly appetites to dictate your behavior. The flesh will destroy you. It will make a fool of you. The believer's responsibility is to say no to his flesh and yes to God. Without God's help you will never overcome the passions of your body. (3) By Refusing To Take Responsibility For Your Actions. When God called Adam and Eve to account for their deeds, neither one wanted to admit their mistakes. In fact they both blamed someone else for their failures. Adam blamed Eve, and she blamed the serpent for the sin they had com-mitted(Gen. 3:12-13). You will never succeed when you blame others for your mistakes. Sadly, too many people want to blame their spouse for their sins. They try to deflect the guilt onto others whenever they fail. You are living in denial whenever you think you can transfer your sins to another. God will hold you ac-countable for your own sins. Taking responsibility for your actions is the first step toward forgiveness and reconciliation. Proverbs 28:13 states that, "He that cover-eth his sin shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy". When you fail, admit it and move forward. Take responsibility for your actions. (4) By Failing To Communicate With Each Other. In Genesis 3:1-6, Eve's conversation with the serpent did not include Adam. How much different would the outcome have been if only Eve had included her husband in the discus-sion? Failure to communicate with him cost her more than she ever dreamed. A world of problems could be avoided if only husbands and wives communicated with each other about the complicated issues of life before any actions are initiated. Communication solves a multitude of problems. Remember, if you would "Be-come One" then you must avoid anything and everything that would Damage Oneness.
