Celebrating wifehood: we’re in the construction business.

Ah, it’s been a long time since I wrote!  Between you and me, I have definitely longed to share so many thoughts, lessons, and insights God has given me over the last few months, but the Lord has led me to wait for a while, teaching me that it’s better to sit at His feet and learn from Him, letting seeds of truth take deep root in my own life, before I immediately regurgitate the lessons for others to read.  It’s been hard not to write, but obedience is often hard.  :)

 

So, today is the day I look forward to a special little treat six months out of the year… it is the 31^st! That means that part of my daily Bible reading is Proverbs 31! 

 

If you haven’t yet today, I encourage you to grab your Bible right now and read the “description of a worthy woman”, found in Proverbs 31… then I’ll ask this question:

 

Do you realize that the characteristics of this amazing woman in Proverbs 31 are never once contingent upon anything her husband is or isn’t doing, or being?   In fact, her husband is only mentioned three times, and each reference is only a result of an action the woman has taken.

 

31:11  “the heart of her husband trusts in her…”

31:23  “…her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land…”

31:28  “her husband…praises her, saying…”

 

I believe that ANY WOMAN— no matter what kind of personality your husband has, or what his struggles or strengths are, or how involved or uninvolved in your life he is, or how obedient or disobedient he is being to the Lord, no matter who he is— I believe that the WOMAN of the house has the potential to be an excellent wife, as unto the Lord, because she fears Him! (Prov. 31:30)  

 

This realization is weighty, but freeing.    

We wives/moms/women must never, but also, never have to, base our obedience to God upon what anyone else is or isn’t doing! …this even goes for women with an unbelieving or unloving husband.   At the end of the day, when the Lord looks upon our heart, He will see whether or not we have chosen to “fear Him” above all else, and His Word tells us that the “woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.  Give her the fruit of her hands…” (not the fruit of ANYONE ELSE’s hands or actions), and let her works praise her in the gates.” (Prov. 31:30-31)

 

It’s a sobering thought to realize that IT’S MY CHOICE at every moment to obey or disobey the Lord with my thoughts, emotions, responses, facial expression, tone of voice, words, attitudes…

 

Praise God that in His justice, He deals with our hearts alone!  His gentle, personalized system of justice eliminates our ability to cast blame anywhere but our very own hearts.

 

Will you choose to be this woman today, by surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit who is alive in you?  You, the woman, have been given the charge and the power to “build your house!”   Anyone who thinks wifehood is for the lazy, spiritually needy, subservient follower has never apprehended the weight of the construction business.  

 

“The wise woman builds her house,

but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.”

Proverbs 14:1

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