Shortly after creating Adam, the Lord God acknowledged that it wasn’t good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2:21 says that after placing Adam into a deep sleep, God removed one of his ribs and used it to create Eve.

Medical research gives us a window into the rich, life-giving properties of the red bone marrow located inside human ribs. Containing two different types of stem cells, bone marrow has the capability of producing 200 billion new blood cells every day. Scientists and stem cell biologists hope to one day create human gametes – functioning sperm and eggs – directly from bone marrow. But despite our extensive medical knowledge, advancements, and breakthroughs, mankind still cannot spontaneously generate human life.

However, the One who formed the heavens and the earth, the sun, moon, stars, beasts, birds and fish — from nothing — is without such limitation. If it wasn’t necessary to use Adam’s rib, why did God jumpstart Eve’s life that way? My opinion involves placement. Eve was created to stand at Adam’s side. Not in front of him. Not behind him. Not beneath him. Not above him.

The View a wife holds — how she sees herself and/or her husband — drives her actions. A wife who stands in front of her husband doesn’t trust him to lead. A wife who lags behind has lost interest in (or has entirely given up on) the marriage. A wife who thinks her husband is above her will tear him down, and a wife who considers herself above her husband displays a perception of superiority.

The View I hold of my husband is that he is the leader of our home. While I see myself as his helpmate, I am not a carpet to be trampled upon, nor am I the Wise One who’ll solve all his problems. I don’t walk ten paces behind or ten paces ahead. Whether I’m head-over-heels-in love with him, or I’m so angry or hurt that I feel like walking out, I willfully choose to stand at his side. Some days it’s easy; other days test my resolve, but each time I make that choice, God faithfully draws us closer to each other.

Traditional marriage gets a bad rap, and the idea that a husband is called to lead his family isn’t popular. Culture, which mirrors a strong current, will pull us toward one ideology, only to shove us in the opposition direction toward another. I’d rather stand on the strong foundation of God’s word, which is neither flimsy nor unstable. I choose to stand alongside my husband because I believe it’s what God intended. As the designer of marriage, I trust that God not only knows the best place for me to be, but that He’ll honor my placement, even if others don’t.