"...just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord...you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." 1 Peter 3:6
God has called us to obey Him in the circumstances that we are in. This world is full of sin, sin in those around us and sin within ourselves. Before we can confront anyone about their sin we must look at the sin in our selves first. When we go through difficult trials or persecution we are to follow Christ’s example, fixing our eyes on Him and receiving power and strength from Him. When our husband is unbelieving we are to win him with our gentle spirit and behavior. We are to confront with meekness and respect. We are to believe that God has a plan and He is sovereign over all. We can trust in our heavenly husband.
"...God calls us to fulfill our calling in the very circumstances that we're in. The only opportunity you have to fulfill your calling and obey the Lord is in the now. You can't fulfill God's call in the past or in the future- you've only got today, this minute- to choose to follow Him or to turn aside."p.178 This was very convicting and yet very encouraging to me. I can't worry about mistakes I have made in the past or how I am going to obey in the future. I have only right now. The verses in 1 Peter 3:1-6 also encouraged me. Where do we get the fearlessness that produces quiet tranquility which in turn produces humble submission? We get if from hope in God. When I remember who God is, that He has a perfect loving plan for my life, I will experience a boldness at whatever comes my way, knowing that it is from God. My heart will than be at peace. When I am at peace within me it will be easy to be humble ad submit to my husband. It all starts with God.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Chapter Ten ~ Created to Communicate
"She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
Proverbs 31:26
Before the creation of man, God spoke. God has been speaking to His people ever since. God designed women, in particular, with the gift of language skills. We are to use this ability to glorify the Lord and help our husband. Our goal in communication should be to glorify and please the Lord. We have the opportunity to reflect who God is with the words that come out of our mouths. But our hearts must be changed by the Lord, for out of the heart the mouth speaks. Our words simply reflect what is in our hearts. God uses His words to reveal Himself. They are perfect, solid, right, pure, true, righteous and desirable. They restore, make wise, bring joy and enlightenment, warn and reward. God’s words reveals the thought and intention of the heart. They enable us to throw off the yoke of sin and shows us the way to forgiveness. We must have our hearts centered on Christ if our words are going to be pleasing to the Lord. In the Bible women are instructed to refrain from gossip. Women are also warned against nagging and contentious words. Our words should be pleasant, healthful words. They should be graceful and deliberate, truthful, yet loving, wise, kind and comforting words.
My tongue is very powerful. What and how I say things can have a great impact for either destruction or life. I can choose to build up or break down others. If I simply take a few moments to consider what I am about to say, consider the effect it will have on others, I can begin to tame my tongue.
Proverbs 31:26
Before the creation of man, God spoke. God has been speaking to His people ever since. God designed women, in particular, with the gift of language skills. We are to use this ability to glorify the Lord and help our husband. Our goal in communication should be to glorify and please the Lord. We have the opportunity to reflect who God is with the words that come out of our mouths. But our hearts must be changed by the Lord, for out of the heart the mouth speaks. Our words simply reflect what is in our hearts. God uses His words to reveal Himself. They are perfect, solid, right, pure, true, righteous and desirable. They restore, make wise, bring joy and enlightenment, warn and reward. God’s words reveals the thought and intention of the heart. They enable us to throw off the yoke of sin and shows us the way to forgiveness. We must have our hearts centered on Christ if our words are going to be pleasing to the Lord. In the Bible women are instructed to refrain from gossip. Women are also warned against nagging and contentious words. Our words should be pleasant, healthful words. They should be graceful and deliberate, truthful, yet loving, wise, kind and comforting words.
My tongue is very powerful. What and how I say things can have a great impact for either destruction or life. I can choose to build up or break down others. If I simply take a few moments to consider what I am about to say, consider the effect it will have on others, I can begin to tame my tongue.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Chapter Nine ~ Learning the Steps of the Dance
"But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:24
All Christians are called to submit. We are called to submit to the Lord, to each other and to the authorities that God has placed over us. Christ is our perfect example of joyful willing submission. The more we know of Christ, the better our understanding of what true biblical submission looks like. As wives we are to follow the lead of our husband as the church follows the lead of Christ. God designed submission for our good and His glory. So what is submission? It is the laying down of self and yielding to another. I am to embrace my husband's calling and vision and make it my own. I don't lose who I am, I bring my gifts and strengths to benefit my husband. How can we do this? It is only by the grace of God. As we submit to our heavenly Father, we will be able to submit to our earthly husband.
I haven't been relying on the Holy Spirit for the power to submit. I have been depending on my own strength. If I was depending on the Spirit I would ask Him to enable me to have the right attitude about submission. I know that God is faithful and He can give me the right attitude. Why do I fight against Him by not asking for His strength? I struggle with the idea that in order to submit I have to think exactly like my husband, that I have to agree with everything he thinks and does. What does submission look like when it doesn't think the same way? Where is the balance of expressing my own views and opinions yet submitting to Jason's decisions? I feel that if I don't think like him I'm not following him. I'm in a tug a war with the desire to just keep quiet for the sake of peace and the desire to fight for what I think. Both are wrong. I need to share my perspective but once my husband has made the final decision I need to support that with everything that is in me.
All Christians are called to submit. We are called to submit to the Lord, to each other and to the authorities that God has placed over us. Christ is our perfect example of joyful willing submission. The more we know of Christ, the better our understanding of what true biblical submission looks like. As wives we are to follow the lead of our husband as the church follows the lead of Christ. God designed submission for our good and His glory. So what is submission? It is the laying down of self and yielding to another. I am to embrace my husband's calling and vision and make it my own. I don't lose who I am, I bring my gifts and strengths to benefit my husband. How can we do this? It is only by the grace of God. As we submit to our heavenly Father, we will be able to submit to our earthly husband.
I haven't been relying on the Holy Spirit for the power to submit. I have been depending on my own strength. If I was depending on the Spirit I would ask Him to enable me to have the right attitude about submission. I know that God is faithful and He can give me the right attitude. Why do I fight against Him by not asking for His strength? I struggle with the idea that in order to submit I have to think exactly like my husband, that I have to agree with everything he thinks and does. What does submission look like when it doesn't think the same way? Where is the balance of expressing my own views and opinions yet submitting to Jason's decisions? I feel that if I don't think like him I'm not following him. I'm in a tug a war with the desire to just keep quiet for the sake of peace and the desire to fight for what I think. Both are wrong. I need to share my perspective but once my husband has made the final decision I need to support that with everything that is in me.
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