July 29, 2008

God’s plan:Wife


There was a time in our marriage early on where we struggled to keep it all together. I wish I would have had a strong Titus 2 role model in my life back then....but I did not....I imagine she would have set me straight right then and there and given me the truth (in love and with all her years of experience, I'm sure!) What I did have was God and luckily for me.....He had my ear back then....although I only had the mustard seed's amount of faith in my marriage back then! I learned a lot and He led me to just the right sources. I thought I already knew how to be a good wife and have a great marriage.....imagine the shock when I found out I was almost totally wrong!!! It was the most humbling experience I have ever had.....and one of the biggest times of growth for me as a Christian and as a woman. I did not grow up in a Christian home so I was starting at ground zero. If you are struggling in your marriage..God is where you need to start. God and YOU.....that's it!! Ask God to show you how your life measures up to His design for a wife and marriage. Use scripture to memorize/study and to reveal specific areas of need/change in your life... remember if you truly want God's blessings for your marriage and life then you need to do things His way....not the worlds....or yours.... one of the best things I ever did in my life/marriage was to commit to study about biblical marriage and learn, then try to apply as best I could, what my role in marriage is ...there is a wealth of information and studies/groups available over the internet ....key research themes: Titus 2 women, biblical womanhood, keepers at home, proverbs 31 woman, biblical marriage roles, help meet, christian families/homes/roles....some good books on the topics are listed below. Here is an excerpt taken from a pamphlet titled: "Biblical Portrait of Womanhood" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss .....if you are where I was years ago.....some of this may be new to you......try not to ever feel condemnation over any areas you feel you need to work on.....for with Christ there is NO condemnation........try to feel conviction.......conviction to bring change, restoration, peace and love back into your home!!!

What is God's plan for me as a wife?

1. "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her" (Prov 31:11).
Can my husband trust me to walk with God on a consistent basis and to respond to life's circumstances with praise, gratitude, and faith? Can my husband trust me to be loyal and morally faithful to him? Am I completely trustworthy in every area of my life – in my relationships with other men? In my spending habits? In the way I talk about my husband to others?
2. "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life" (Prov 31:12).
Am I committed to support my husband in every way possible and to always act in his best interests? Does my husband know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am committed to him for life, no matter what? Am I committed unconditionally to bless and serve my husband?
3. "She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Genesis 3:5).
Is my life setting a godly example to my husband, children, and friends? By my words or example, do I ever encourage others to act in a way that is contrary to the Word of God?
4. "As the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything" (Eph 5:24).
Do I respond to my husband's leadership in the same way that the church is to respond to Christ as its head? Am I submissive to my husband in my actions, as well as in my attitude? Does my response to my husband demonstrate to the world the beauty and blessing of submission to Christ?
5. "For the husband is the head of the wife" (Eph 5:23).
Have I ever agreed with God that my husband is my spiritual head? Do I allow my husband to lead me, or do I resist his leadership, making it difficult for him to fulfill his God-given responsibility?
6. "...and the wife see that she reverence her husband" (Eph 5:33).
Does my husband feel that I reverence and respect him? Do others know that I reverence my husband? By my words, example, and counsel, do I encourage other women to reverence their husbands?
7. "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband..." (1 Cor 7:3-4).
Do I reserve intimate communication, looks, words, and touch for my husband? Am I giving of myself to meet my husband's needs?
8. "If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husband at home" (1 Cor 14:35).
Do I motivate my husband to grow spiritually by seeking his counsel, input, and direction, or am I quick to run to my pastor or another counselor for answers to my questions and problems? Does my husband feel that I value and respect his input and counsel?

Books to Read on Biblical Womanhood and the Christian Family

"The Bible"
"Created to Be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl
"Feminine Appeal" by Carolyn Mahaney
"A Woman from God's Perspective" by Anna Mary Byler
"Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
"The Politically Incorrect Wife" by Nancy Cobb and Connie Grigsby
"Her Hand in Marriage" (on Biblical Courtship) by Douglas Wilson
"Praise Her in the Gates" by Nancy Wilson
"The Fruit of Her Hands" by Nancy Wilson
"The Family Well-Ordered" by Cotton Mather
"Biblical Womanhood in the Home" edited by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
"Female Piety: A Young Woman's Guide" by John Angell James
"A Help To Domestic Happiness" by John Angell James
"The Quest for a Meekness and Quietness of Spirit" by Matthew Henry
"The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian
"The Excellent Wife" by Martha Peace
"Becoming the Titus 2 Woman" by Martha Peace
"The Rise and Fall of Christian Standards" by David Kidd
"Strike the Original Match" (on marriage) by Charles Swindoll
"Marriage on the Rock" (on marriage) by Jimmy Evans
"The Way Home" by Mary Pride
"Fascinating Womanhood" Helen Andelin
"God in My Home" Dorothy C. Haskin
"The Surrendered Wife" Laura Doyle
"Man and Woman in Biblical Perspective" James B. Hurley
"Woman After God's Own Heart" Elizabeth George
"Becomming the Woman of His Dreams" Sharon Jaynes
"The Christian Family" Larry Christenson
"The Christian Couple" Larry Christenson
"Marriage is For Those Who Love God and One Another" Thomas B. Warren
"A Wife's Purpose" Cindy Schaap
"The Measure of A Woman" Gene A. Getz
"Me? Obey Him?" Elizabeth Rice Handford
"Love Honor and Be Free" Maxine Handcock
"The Worth Of a Woman" Iverna Tompkins
"As Unto the Lord" by Pam Foster
"Building Her House" by Nancy Wilson
"Damsels in Distress" by Martha Peace
"Domestic Tranquility" by F. Carolyn Graglia
"Evangelical Feminism" by Wayne Grudem
"God's Priceless Woman" by Wanda Sanseri
"Let Me Be a Woman" by Elisabeth Elliot
"Love and Respect " by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
"Passionate Housewives Desperate for God" by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald

1 comment:

Kent said...

I noticed a couple of books by Nancy Wilson in your list. I thought you might be interested in a newly available electronic edition of these books from Logos Bible Software:

Nancy Wilson Collection