Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
2. "She will need to know how to pray."
Communication with God is an important part of the Christian life. In Scripture, we are commanded to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Since I have not learned New Testament Greek, I don't know exactly what it means by "without ceasing," but I do know that I fall miserably short of even the most liberal translation of this text!
I don't think that Paul is saying we can never do anything besides pray, but rather that we should have a spirit of prayer throughout our whole day. On a beautiful morning, we can thank God for the blessing of nature. While we are working in the kitchen, we can thank God for giving us an able body and good health. When we think of a friend who is going through a difficult time, we can breath a prayer that God would give her strength. While we are going about our daily work, we can praise the Lord for His provision and sufficiency. As we look around at our families, we can offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for His blessing of children, parents, and husband. During hard times, we can continually offer up prayers for guidance and strength. When our attitude is not as it should be, we have the privilege of coming to God and begging forgiveness, asking for help to overcome our struggle.
Communication with God is also an important key to sanctification. One of the reasons we are told to pray is that we "enter not into temptation" (Luke 22:40). Whether we have problems with our tempers, our tongues, our thoughts, or a lack of reverence and respect toward our husbands or parents, we have the power of God through prayer to keep us from giving in to those temptations.
Sometimes the Lord chooses to close a woman's womb, as He did with Hannah (1 Samuel 1:5). She prayed diligently that the Lord would grant her a child, pouring her heart out to the Giver of Life. The Lord granted her humble request and gave her a son, Samuel. Instead of becoming frustrated when things happen that are outside of our control, we can go to the Lord in prayer, freely making known our requests. What peace comes from this communion with our Lord!
It is not a wife's duty to change her husband. In Created to Be His Help Meet, by Debi Pearl, the question is asked: "[H]ow should we wives respond to make our own lives better and to provide a window of opportunity for our husbands to respond to God and improve?" In answer, Debi Pearl replies, "[A]bove all else, you cannot become his conscience or his accuser, expecting that pressure is going to push him into repentance."
My mother has informed me that many times a wife's only - but nonetheless effective - recourse is prayer. Created to Be His Help Meet is full of letters from wives who stepped back and stopped pressuring their husbands. Instead, they prayed and let the Holy Spirit convict. One such letter, from "Jill," speaks of the power of prayer: "When things go hard, I praise God and give the circumstance to him.... [M]y house is changing from week to week. I can see the work going on before my eyes, and I stand amazed."
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
What Is "He" Looking For? - Part 1
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
1. "The first qualification is that she love the Lord and be His disciple."
If a woman does not understand the relationship between Christ and His church, how can she have a proper understanding of the relationship between a man and his wife? Ephesians 5 draws a clear parallel between the headship of Christ over the church and the headship of a husband over his wife.
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.... For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:23-24, 31-32).
Marriage is a wonderful picture of Christ and His bride, the Church.
Here on earth, however, both the husband and the wife are sinners; they are going to fail. Without God's Word to guide and the Holy Spirit to convict, a marriage can fall apart before the honeymoon is over. A young woman must be a sincere disciple of Jesus Christ, seeking His ways as revealed in His Word, before she is ready to fulfill the great role of a godly wife.
Yet it is not enough merely to conform on the outside. A girl who has all the outer show of a godly wife, yet does not have a love for Christ, is leading a futile life. Colossians emphasizes that all we do must be done to the glory of God.
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men: Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).
When others are not around to watch, what are we living for? During our years at home, are we obeying our parents because it makes life easier for us, or because we possess a deep love for Christ and His ways? If all of our actions are driven by a love of Christ, our obedience to His Word will not depend upon outward circumstances. However, if we lack love for Christ, all that we do is motivated by a desire for selfish gain or for the approval and good opinion of others.
Conversely, a woman who professes faith in Christ, yet whose actions do not reflect this, has a "dead faith." "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou has faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18).
This passage goes on to say, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:19-20, 26). The outward evidence that a woman is a disciple of Christ - one who has faith in Him - is a desire to do all to the glory of God, in accordance with His Word. Her actions reveal where her allegiance lies.
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
1. "The first qualification is that she love the Lord and be His disciple."
If a woman does not understand the relationship between Christ and His church, how can she have a proper understanding of the relationship between a man and his wife? Ephesians 5 draws a clear parallel between the headship of Christ over the church and the headship of a husband over his wife.
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.... For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:23-24, 31-32).
Marriage is a wonderful picture of Christ and His bride, the Church.
Here on earth, however, both the husband and the wife are sinners; they are going to fail. Without God's Word to guide and the Holy Spirit to convict, a marriage can fall apart before the honeymoon is over. A young woman must be a sincere disciple of Jesus Christ, seeking His ways as revealed in His Word, before she is ready to fulfill the great role of a godly wife.
Yet it is not enough merely to conform on the outside. A girl who has all the outer show of a godly wife, yet does not have a love for Christ, is leading a futile life. Colossians emphasizes that all we do must be done to the glory of God.
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men: Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).
When others are not around to watch, what are we living for? During our years at home, are we obeying our parents because it makes life easier for us, or because we possess a deep love for Christ and His ways? If all of our actions are driven by a love of Christ, our obedience to His Word will not depend upon outward circumstances. However, if we lack love for Christ, all that we do is motivated by a desire for selfish gain or for the approval and good opinion of others.
Conversely, a woman who professes faith in Christ, yet whose actions do not reflect this, has a "dead faith." "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou has faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18).
This passage goes on to say, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:19-20, 26). The outward evidence that a woman is a disciple of Christ - one who has faith in Him - is a desire to do all to the glory of God, in accordance with His Word. Her actions reveal where her allegiance lies.
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
Saturday, February 10, 2007
What Is 'He' Looking For? - Introduction
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
Sometimes we look around us and wonder, "Where in the world is the Lord going to find a godly, upright young man to marry me someday?"
At these times, we need to stop and remember that responsibilities are ours; results are God's. God gives us our responsibilities in His Word, and promises to be faithful to those who follow Him (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 127:1, Daniel 9:4).
Our responsibility during the unmarried, formative years of our lives is to diligently seek to become - with God's help - godly, virtuous young women. How can we ask the Lord to give us godly men if we are not ourselves godly women?
Simply and personally put, if my desire is to marry a man of God, I must seek to become a woman of God.
Most of us know what we want in a husband. But have you ever wondered what "he" is looking for in a wife?
I am currently reading through the book To Train up a Child, by Michael & Debi Pearl. Near the end of the book, Mr. Pearl includes a letter written to his sons. In this letter full of direction and sage advice, he offers guidance to his sons for one day choosing godly women to be their wives and the mothers of their children.
While taking notes on this chapter and mentally analyzing it, I wrote down nine main points that I would like to share with you. Mr. Pearl considers each of these points to be characteristic of any woman of God.
The purpose of these posts is not to instruct young men on what to look for in a prospective wife; rather, I am praying that the Lord would use this to inspire the young ladies around me (and in the vast blogosphere) to seek to become virtuous women of God. This letter sets forth what we should be working towards and provides valuable direction and insights for all future (and current) wives and mothers.
Proverbs 18:24 says, "He that hath friends must show himself friendly...." I think that this concept can be applied to us in a unique way: "She who desires a godly husband must show herself to be a godly woman."
Over the next few weeks, with each point, let us have an open heart as we look at what "he" - the godly young man - is looking for, in light of God's Word.
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
Sometimes we look around us and wonder, "Where in the world is the Lord going to find a godly, upright young man to marry me someday?"
At these times, we need to stop and remember that responsibilities are ours; results are God's. God gives us our responsibilities in His Word, and promises to be faithful to those who follow Him (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 127:1, Daniel 9:4).
Our responsibility during the unmarried, formative years of our lives is to diligently seek to become - with God's help - godly, virtuous young women. How can we ask the Lord to give us godly men if we are not ourselves godly women?
Simply and personally put, if my desire is to marry a man of God, I must seek to become a woman of God.
Most of us know what we want in a husband. But have you ever wondered what "he" is looking for in a wife?
I am currently reading through the book To Train up a Child, by Michael & Debi Pearl. Near the end of the book, Mr. Pearl includes a letter written to his sons. In this letter full of direction and sage advice, he offers guidance to his sons for one day choosing godly women to be their wives and the mothers of their children.
While taking notes on this chapter and mentally analyzing it, I wrote down nine main points that I would like to share with you. Mr. Pearl considers each of these points to be characteristic of any woman of God.
The purpose of these posts is not to instruct young men on what to look for in a prospective wife; rather, I am praying that the Lord would use this to inspire the young ladies around me (and in the vast blogosphere) to seek to become virtuous women of God. This letter sets forth what we should be working towards and provides valuable direction and insights for all future (and current) wives and mothers.
Proverbs 18:24 says, "He that hath friends must show himself friendly...." I think that this concept can be applied to us in a unique way: "She who desires a godly husband must show herself to be a godly woman."
Over the next few weeks, with each point, let us have an open heart as we look at what "he" - the godly young man - is looking for, in light of God's Word.
Introduction * Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 * Part 5 * Part 6 * Part 7 * Part 8 * Part 9 * Conclusion
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
A Fantastic Article on Feminine Modesty
Twins Alex and Brett Harris, of TheRebelution, recently conducted a "Modesty Survey." While I don't necessarily agree with or approve of every aspect of it, I appreciate the motivation behind it.
Part of the survey allowed those taking it to submit written answers or comments. One young man, Shannon Moeller, wrote a fantastic article comparing modesty to safety on roofs, or "parapets." I know it sounds rather bizarre, but click over to read this very insightful, practical, article entitled The Responsibility of Modesty (Part Two). I promise it will be worth the short three minutes it takes to read.
Part of the survey allowed those taking it to submit written answers or comments. One young man, Shannon Moeller, wrote a fantastic article comparing modesty to safety on roofs, or "parapets." I know it sounds rather bizarre, but click over to read this very insightful, practical, article entitled The Responsibility of Modesty (Part Two). I promise it will be worth the short three minutes it takes to read.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
A Gift From God
Click over to our family blog to see the new gift that God has given us in the person of a little down syndrome baby girl!
Friday, February 2, 2007
The Baby's Coming!
There's some exciting activity right now on our family blog, The Name Fitz! We're pretty sure Mom's going into "real" labor, but she's had several false alarms so far. Check our family blog for live updates!!!
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Article: "Christians Can't Multitask"
I just finished reading a wonderful article by Alex & Brett Harris entitled Christians Can't Multitask.
I know. When I first saw the headline, I thought the same thing that's probably running through your mind right now. What in the world? Now that's strange. What's wrong with multi-tasking?
Through reading the article, however, I discovered a few things. Although multi-tasking in and of itself is not wrong, there are some things we need to consider first.
In this article, the Harris twins coherently and judiciously break down the issues surrounding our ever-increasing use of modern technology. How do we look at this from a Biblical perspective? What are the implications for our life goal of bringing glory to God?
In their own words,
I know. When I first saw the headline, I thought the same thing that's probably running through your mind right now. What in the world? Now that's strange. What's wrong with multi-tasking?
Through reading the article, however, I discovered a few things. Although multi-tasking in and of itself is not wrong, there are some things we need to consider first.
In this article, the Harris twins coherently and judiciously break down the issues surrounding our ever-increasing use of modern technology. How do we look at this from a Biblical perspective? What are the implications for our life goal of bringing glory to God?
In their own words,
Even in its infancy the incredible power and pervasiveness of modern technology requires us to step back and reassess our generation's proclivity for multitasking. As life gets faster and faster and technology continues to advance we've got to stop texting long enough to ask ourselves whether we're really more efficient when we multitask. How does this juggling show affect our productivity, our thought life, and our relationships?
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