The Time Warp Wife
*My husband and I at the top of a fire tower in Bloomington, Indiana. Despite my fear of heights and climbing all those rickety stairs (and in a dress), with his help, I made it to the top! :)
I love how Courtney Joseph (author of the Women Living Well blog and book) describes modern women: "The modern women of today, want it all. We want husbands, children, college degrees, corner offices, a big house, weekends away with the girls, designer bags, a size zero waist, no wrinkles and to be –world travelers."
The truth of the matter is we can't have everything. This is a truth that is very hard for me to accept at times. As women, we are very good multi-taskers and hate admitting our shortcomings. I am learning it is better to focus on a few things and do them well, than to do a lot of things half-way.
God has called me to be a wife, which is my primary responsibility. However, that does not take all of my time at this season of our life, so I am focusing on a few things in my extra time. Right now I am volunteering a couple days a week at a local women's homeless shelter, being a guest contributor to this blog, and spending extra time with my family. I also enjoy reading, watching HGTV (and dreaming since we are currently house hunting), and attempting new Pintrest recipes in my leisure time.
Family is the first priority in my life. This means I gave up a career which made it impossible to put family first. My husband is a wonderful provider, but financially it will make things easier if I am able to work part-time to help out. I am currently looking for a job which allows me to help out and keep our priorities in check. I am thankful my husband is supportive of my dream to be at home as much as possible.
The truth of the matter is we can't have everything. This is a truth that is very hard for me to accept at times. As women, we are very good multi-taskers and hate admitting our shortcomings. I am learning it is better to focus on a few things and do them well, than to do a lot of things half-way.
God has called me to be a wife, which is my primary responsibility. However, that does not take all of my time at this season of our life, so I am focusing on a few things in my extra time. Right now I am volunteering a couple days a week at a local women's homeless shelter, being a guest contributor to this blog, and spending extra time with my family. I also enjoy reading, watching HGTV (and dreaming since we are currently house hunting), and attempting new Pintrest recipes in my leisure time.
Family is the first priority in my life. This means I gave up a career which made it impossible to put family first. My husband is a wonderful provider, but financially it will make things easier if I am able to work part-time to help out. I am currently looking for a job which allows me to help out and keep our priorities in check. I am thankful my husband is supportive of my dream to be at home as much as possible.
Ephesians 5:
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Husbands are told:
1. Be a leader, especially a spiritual leader to your wife.
2. Love your wives as Christ loves the church.
3. Love your wives as your own bodies.
4. Leave your parents, and be united with your wife. Create your own family unit.
Wives are told:
1. Submit to your husband in everything.
2. Pursue purity.
3. Respect your husband.
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Husbands are told:
1. Be a leader, especially a spiritual leader to your wife.
2. Love your wives as Christ loves the church.
3. Love your wives as your own bodies.
4. Leave your parents, and be united with your wife. Create your own family unit.
Wives are told:
1. Submit to your husband in everything.
2. Pursue purity.
3. Respect your husband.
Society tells us many lies about our role as women in society and our marriages. It tells us to be independent, strong, and not to depend on a man. It tells us to act like men in the workplace and in our homes. However, God has called us to be feminine and not rule over men. God created us to be helpers to our husbands and created men to lead us, protect us, and provide for us.
Society tells us many lies about marriage. It tells us marriage does not last. It tells us to divorce our spouse when marriage no longer makes us happy or fulfills our needs.
God tells us the following about marriage:
Mark 10:
6 But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female. 7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
I Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Genesis 2:
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
We were created to provide companionship and serve as helpmeets to our husbands. It is our role to take care of the home and help our husbands fulfill their role as provider. Does that mean we can't work outside the home? Not necessarily, but I feel it should never be at the expense of our roles as wife and keeper of our homes.
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
We were created to provide companionship and serve as helpmeets to our husbands. It is our role to take care of the home and help our husbands fulfill their role as provider. Does that mean we can't work outside the home? Not necessarily, but I feel it should never be at the expense of our roles as wife and keeper of our homes.
My husband's primary love language is "acts of service" so making sure the house is clean, the laundry is done, and there is a home-cooked meal on the table when he arrives home from work is a major part of how he feels loved by me.
I am learning how to keep our grocery budget as low as possible through meal planning, coupon clipping, and making a lot from scratch. This is a way I can help keep our budget on track.
I am learning how to keep our grocery budget as low as possible through meal planning, coupon clipping, and making a lot from scratch. This is a way I can help keep our budget on track.
THINK ABOUT IT:
Now, name one specific action you will take this week to help your husband or to show him respect. Call a friend and tell her your plan. Ask her to follow up with you to help keep you accountable to do it.
In Christ,
Arin
In Christ,
Arin
*Note: Reviving Homemaking is not an affiliate of www.womenlivingwell.org or the publishing companies (Thomas Nelson & HarperCollins Christian Publishing). No compensation has been received by either of these entities for the review of the book. All opinions are my own.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Visit the Reviving Homemaking Etsy Shop!
Follow Reviving Homemaking on Pinterest!
No comments:
Post a Comment