Build Into Each Other

The body of Christ is a powerful thing made powerful by Christ himself.  I have been a witness to this throughout my life but never more so than the past year and a half as God has graciously blessed Chris and I with a church home filled with Christ followers who truly desire to spread and live out the gospel- the good news.

Within this body, I have met several women I have come to admire.  Not because they are well liked.  Not because they know how to put an outfit together.  Not because they are beautiful.  Not because they seem to have it all together.  But because they truly seek to fulfill what Paul teaches in Titus 2-

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. Titus 2:3-4.  

This was recently the theme verse for a ladies event at our church, High Pointe.  Our speaker, Teresa Bair, was a missionary from Brazil on a year long furlough with her family.  She described the need for us women to "build into each other".  I have been dwelling on this phrase over and over again.  As Christians, we have a firm, solid rock of a foundation in what Christ has done for us.  Anything that is built on it will not be shaken.  This life will hurl rocks at it, but it will remain.  All the encouragement, lessons, examples which point others to Christ is only building onto the rock our faith is placed on.  

I am grateful to have ladies in my life who are building into me as I learn more and more just how strong my foundation, my savior, truly is.  I am the younger woman.  And you know what, I always will be.  When I am 60 I will still need the body of Christ to build into me.  But as I age physically, Lord willing, I hope to age spiritually and build into women coming after me.  

As we referred to it at our event- we need to "Titus 2" each other!

Showing Respect to Your Husband

"...and let the wife see that she respects her husband." -Ephesians 5:33

One of the reasons I began blogging was because I just love the insights of other women who, like me, are striving to become more godly women and wives.  Blogs are a path for these women to express ways God is working in their hearts and the expression of these ideas helps God to work in the hearts of others.  More than crafts and decorating, this is what I have enjoyed the most about fellow bloggers. 

Chris and I went to a marriage conference this weekend (with Kirk Cameron...ahhhh teen heartthrobs....I digress).  We had been through pre marital counseling and have heard sermons on marriage before.  And this conference did not necessarily present anything new to us.  But I don't think you can ever hear enough what God's plan is for marriage.  Throughout everything we have read and heard, the theme that always resonates with me is just how much God calls us to live out the love and respect we have for each other through actions- going beyond the oooey gooey feelings- even when we don't want to.

I started following Faith's blog today and a previous post she had written reminded me of how imperative it is that we, as wives, live out, daily, the respect we are called to have for our husbands.  It is not enough to say we have respect for him, he needs to see it and feel it.  This, in turn, opens a door for God (not ME) to work in my husband's heart.  I just had to share this list she got from a book she is reading, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams by Sharon Jayne.

1. Do not talk down to him

2. Do not talk badly about him to others

3. Do not check behind him to make sure he did something to your standard

4. Do not disregard his wishes

5. Do not ignore his requests

6. Do not laugh at his mistakes

7. Do not make him the brunt of your jokes

8. Do not compare him to other men

9. Do not complain about your finances or his ability as a provider

10. Do not speak sarcastically or with verbal jabs

11. Do not roll your eyes when he makes comments you don't agree with

12. Do not continually "have a better idea"

13. Do talk to him in a pleasant tone

14. Do speak highly or compliment him in front of others

15. Do allow him to do tasks his own way and then thank him when he is finished

16. Do value his opinions

17. Do support his decisions

18. Do try to fulfill his requests

19. Do thank him for providing for your family

20. Do allow him to make final decisions

21. Do support him in his decisions regardless of the outcome

22. Do avoid the words, "I told you so"

23. Do take care of your appearance

24. Do ask his opinion about your clothes/hairstyle etc...

25. Do tell him you are proud of him

 So many of them seem so...obvious, true.  But I know if I truly evaluate myself and my interactions with my husband, I fail at so many of these seemingly simple ways to show him respect.  It is an ongoing spiritual battle and satan sets out to convince us we need to manipulate our husbands.  But the beauty of it is we are already equipped with all we need, in Christ, to be the wives God is calling us to be.

Here is a shout out to my handsome husband, who works hard to provide, makes time for me, and is always looking for ways to better our marriage and his role as a husband! I am blessed!