I’m a big picture person. I’m an ideas person. That is why this verse terrifies me:
James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
It is much easier for me to study what the Word of God says than it is to do what the Word of God says. In my last post, I laid out what God taught me about being my husband’s helpmate and about God’s call for me to submit to my husband. Early on in our marriage, I asked my husband what are the ways I could best serve him (he has asked the same of me). He told me that I could be helpful to him by: 1) tending to my health and appearance; 2) keeping our home orderly; and 3) being a good steward with spending money.
I should not have been too surprised. After all, I read Shaunti Feldhahn’s book, “For Women Only”. Apparently these areas are important to many men.
These are my weakest areas.
I used to wonder, “Lord, why would you choose me to be the wife of a man who values these things so highly, when these are my weakest areas?” I know the answer to that question now. God does not want to leave me as I am. He wants to root out sin in me, grow the fruit of the Spirit in me, and to conform me to the image of Jesus.
My least strong fruit of the Spirit is self-control. One of my biggest propensities toward sin has to do with self-indulgence, gluttony, laziness at home, lack of discipline, lack of endurance, and poor stewardship of time at home, and poor stewardship of money. These qualities in me pertain to what the Bible refers to as my “flesh”.
In some upcoming posts, I am going to address each of these three areas in which I am struggling to serve and submit to my husband, looking at these issues from Scripture.
How about you? Have you ever asked your husband about ways that you can serve him and submit to him better? Are there areas in which you are struggling?
Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for my self-indulgence, gluttony, laziness, lack of discipline, lack of endurance, poor stewardship of time and money, and most of all my lack of love for you and others. I pray that I would not take my sin too lightly and that I would not cheapen the grace you have shown me. I pray that I would remember the price you paid for my sin. I often feel overwhelmed by my sin and weaknesses. I thank you that you have a solution to that. I thank you that there is no condemnation in You. Thank you for not leaving me as I am! Thank you for putting challenging circumstances before me to cut away sin from my life. Thank you for your divine purpose in marriage, which is multifold. Thank you that one of those purposes is to make us both more like your Son. Thank you for my husband and for giving him love in his heart for me. I pray for myself and for all the women who read this blog. Please keep us from believing lies. May our attitudes and actions conform to your Word. Help us to live by your Spirit and not according to our flesh. Help us to have sincere love and a servant heart for others, especially for our husbands. In Jesus Name, Amen
James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
It is much easier for me to study what the Word of God says than it is to do what the Word of God says. In my last post, I laid out what God taught me about being my husband’s helpmate and about God’s call for me to submit to my husband. Early on in our marriage, I asked my husband what are the ways I could best serve him (he has asked the same of me). He told me that I could be helpful to him by: 1) tending to my health and appearance; 2) keeping our home orderly; and 3) being a good steward with spending money.
I should not have been too surprised. After all, I read Shaunti Feldhahn’s book, “For Women Only”. Apparently these areas are important to many men.
These are my weakest areas.
I used to wonder, “Lord, why would you choose me to be the wife of a man who values these things so highly, when these are my weakest areas?” I know the answer to that question now. God does not want to leave me as I am. He wants to root out sin in me, grow the fruit of the Spirit in me, and to conform me to the image of Jesus.
My least strong fruit of the Spirit is self-control. One of my biggest propensities toward sin has to do with self-indulgence, gluttony, laziness at home, lack of discipline, lack of endurance, and poor stewardship of time at home, and poor stewardship of money. These qualities in me pertain to what the Bible refers to as my “flesh”.
In some upcoming posts, I am going to address each of these three areas in which I am struggling to serve and submit to my husband, looking at these issues from Scripture.
How about you? Have you ever asked your husband about ways that you can serve him and submit to him better? Are there areas in which you are struggling?
Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for my self-indulgence, gluttony, laziness, lack of discipline, lack of endurance, poor stewardship of time and money, and most of all my lack of love for you and others. I pray that I would not take my sin too lightly and that I would not cheapen the grace you have shown me. I pray that I would remember the price you paid for my sin. I often feel overwhelmed by my sin and weaknesses. I thank you that you have a solution to that. I thank you that there is no condemnation in You. Thank you for not leaving me as I am! Thank you for putting challenging circumstances before me to cut away sin from my life. Thank you for your divine purpose in marriage, which is multifold. Thank you that one of those purposes is to make us both more like your Son. Thank you for my husband and for giving him love in his heart for me. I pray for myself and for all the women who read this blog. Please keep us from believing lies. May our attitudes and actions conform to your Word. Help us to live by your Spirit and not according to our flesh. Help us to have sincere love and a servant heart for others, especially for our husbands. In Jesus Name, Amen
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2 comments:
What a challenge you've placed before me Bina. I haven't ever asked Chris that, but I will have to now. I can potentially guess some that he might say and I too, struggle with them. After reading your post, I was again reminded of how I shortchanged my husband yesterday (I don't even know if he noticed, but I knew). Thanks for the prayer!
I look forward to your posts about this! Thank you!
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