God's Perfect Partner Plan
Matthew 6:33 reminds us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Regardless of whether you're looking, currently dating, or already married, today's blog is for you! Gabby Terry reminds us of God's design for marriage from a fresh perspective that may help clarify your relationship challenges.
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The Dating Dilemma
If you ask young Christians about dating today, you’ll hear two frustrations: “There are no strong, godly men willing to lead,” and “Women don’t want to follow—they want to control everything.”
The problem feels modern, but it’s ancient. It actually started in Eden.
The Fall: Silence, Passivity, and Control
Genesis 2 shows that Adam was created first, given God’s command to avoid the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16–17), and tasked with leading, protecting, and cultivating. Eve was created as his helper—not lesser, but essential (Genesis 2:18).
But in Genesis 3, God’s design was fractured. Eve was deceived by the serpent. She acted independently of her husband. Adam was passive and silent. Though not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14), he failed to protect Eve and chose rebellion.
God’s response is telling: He didn’t call out, “Eve, where are you?” He called Adam. Leadership means responsibility. Many modern men avoid taking responsibility due to insecure attachment in relationships and cultural conditioning. They fear failure, so they retreat into passivity. Just like Adam in the garden, they stay silent when they should act.
Instead of leading with sacrificial love (Ephesians 5:25), they drift without purpose, hand over leadership to women, and escape into distractions instead of facing real responsibility. This leaves women unprotected and families unstable.
When men don’t lead, women often compensate. They grab control—not out of rebellion at first, but out of survival. But in the process, they over-function, micromanage, and unintentionally emasculate men.
That’s Eve’s pattern replayed: stepping into a role that wasn’t hers and bearing a weight she was never designed to carry. Instead of partnership, the relationship becomes a power struggle.
God's Better Way: Complementary Roles
Scripture shows us something better: men and women have equally important, complementary roles. Men are called to sacrificial leadership. Protect, provide, and pursue. Headship isn’t domination—it’s service. Men who act with responsibility, communicate openly, and bear the weight God entrusted to them.
Women are called to honor partnership. Respect, encourage, and trust. Submission isn’t weakness—it’s strength expressed through order and faith. Women can relax into trust when they know their man will act with courage and consistency.
Together, these roles don’t compete—they complete and create a beautiful picture of marriage that God desires for us.
But how do you fix an already broken marriage?
Christ Restores What Adam Broke
The second Adam, Christ, restores what the first Adam broke. Where Adam was silent, Jesus speaks truth. Where Adam was passive, Jesus acts with courage. Where Adam failed to protect His bride, Jesus laid down His life for His Bride (the Church). Through Him, men are redeemed from fear into strong, secure leadership. Women are freed from control into trust and joyful partnership.
The dating pool feels hopeless when both genders resist their roles. But when men step into godly responsibility and women embrace godly partnership, dating becomes preparation for a marriage that reflects Christ and the Church.
God’s design isn’t outdated. It’s the only way relationships thrive.
Author Bio:
Gabrielle Terry (aka Gabby) and her husband, Riley, have been married since October 2022 and live in the beautiful state of Georgia! Currently, she helps produce content for RforH's social media, coordinates guests for our podcast, The DeBunked Files, and helps foster relationships with our amazing supporters. She also works within our amazing Mic’dUP Discipleship program, where we help students and leaders feel equipped to evangelize to those around them.
One of Gabby's biggest passions is learning about how God designed our bodies and what we can do to support them. Because she also wanted to help others learn this information, she became a certified Nutritional Therapist. Now, she can help people understand the foundations of what our body needs to thrive through holistic practices according to God’s design.
Through Reasons for Hope and her services as a Nutritional Therapist, Gabby hopes to help people learn to embrace God’s purpose and design for their lives spiritually and physically.
Gabrielle Terry (aka Gabby) and her husband, Riley, have been married since October 2022 and live in the beautiful state of Georgia! Currently, she helps produce content for RforH's social media, coordinates guests for our podcast, The DeBunked Files, and helps foster relationships with our amazing supporters. She also works within our amazing Mic’dUP Discipleship program, where we help students and leaders feel equipped to evangelize to those around them.
One of Gabby's biggest passions is learning about how God designed our bodies and what we can do to support them. Because she also wanted to help others learn this information, she became a certified Nutritional Therapist. Now, she can help people understand the foundations of what our body needs to thrive through holistic practices according to God’s design.
Through Reasons for Hope and her services as a Nutritional Therapist, Gabby hopes to help people learn to embrace God’s purpose and design for their lives spiritually and physically.
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