ABC's of a Godly Woman (Wives Specifically)

is for Begins with Prayer


A godly woman begins with prayer.


This should be the first one, but begins doesn't start with A so here it is on B.  We need to pray, pray, pray. 


It doesn't help at all to aspire to great things as wives if we don't go to God in prayer and hear His heart and will for us as wives.  

This is another thing that goes in that time category.  Pray all day.  

As you tuck the kids into bed, 

    as you transfer the laundry, 

        as you drive to work, 

            use your free moments for prayer...

and then pop in that bible study CD because you Aspire to be a godly woman! 

I want to give you some practical things that you need to be praying for. 

Specifically, for your husband.

1. Pray for his prosperity

PROSPER:

1: to succeed in an enterprise or activity; especially to achieve economic success

2: to become strong and flourishing 

3: to cause to succeed or thrive

I love that last one, to succeed or THRIVE.  


Don't you want that for your husband at his work, in his pursuits? 


To not just survive each work day, but to succeed and to thrive? A man was created to work and to be partly fulfilled by that work.  Pray for you husbands prosperity, pray for it daily.


2. Pray for his protection

I don't need to tell you all the things that our men are being bombarded with every moment, you can see it for yourself.  


Pray for your husband's protection from the temptations at work; sexually, spiritually and in his integrity.  The constant pulling at their fleshly desires is tiring and they need our prayers to stand firm. 


Satan wants our men and he's been pretty successful at causing them to look like fools in the media, don't think he's going to spare your husband in his daily activities.

As an aside.  You can help tremendously in this regard by choosing wisely what movies you will see, what shows you will watch as a couple.  Just because you are ok with something, doesn't mean he is. 


Think a little deeper than that, do you really want your husband to be ok with seeing scantily clad women on television?  If you can keep it out of our life, do it!


3. Pray for his priorities.

This one encompasses so many things.  His walk with God, his ministry, his hobbies, his family, your relationship.  Pray for wisdom and vision for your husband.  He has the huge responsibility of leading your family and he will answer to God on how he did -  PRAY for him!

ABC's of a Godly Woman

is for Aspiring

A godly woman has aspirations, she has a plan.  Being a godly woman doesn't just happen on it's own, it has to be what you are about, what you are putting your time into.

The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. - Titus 2:3-5

Here in Titus chapter 2, Paul is writing to Titus and giving him a lot of instructions. Tell the old men this, teach the young men that, remind them to submit to authorities, etc. There are a lot of instructions and here in chapter two Paul is telling Titus what to teach the women.  The older women are being reminded of some pitfalls and they are being commanded to teach.  

We are all older women and younger women - the point is we need to be teachers and we need to be taught, we need to be learning.

I'm a homeschool mom so I'm always looking for learning opportunities. Homeschool moms are notorious for taking something fun and turning it into a learning lesson! 

You find a bug on the ground?  Let's learn about it! 

You ask me why the sky is blue? Let's study it and then, for fun, we can write a paper on it!!  Yay!  

We need to be the same way.  Being a woman of God needs to always be in the forefront of our minds. We are learning, seeking to be taught, seeking Gods will for our life as a woman.  Our lives will never speak a good testimony to the younger women watching us and LEARNING from us, if we don't put some serious effort into it.


What does that mean practically?

1.  You are in God's word.  It's never going to come out unless you put it in.  It's like that analogy of the ketchup bottle, when it is squeezed, whatever is inside comes out. You expect to find ketchup come out of a ketchup bottle and it's the same way with you and me, whatever we put in is what is going to come out when the squeezing of hard times or even just husbands and toddlers comes along.  


Get God's word in so that it will be what is coming out!  Be in bible studies at home and in the body, listen to studies on your computer or iPod.  Read verses while you do dishes, listen to bible studies while you drive.  Be creative, just get the word in so that THE WORD will come out!


2.  You're putting time into learning how to be a godly woman.  
That's time in God's word, time reading  books about being a godly woman, spending time with older women and gleaning from them. 

• Seek out your moms, aunts, grandmas, older women at church - examine their lives, emulate them.
  
  
• Read books examine the lives of women like Elizabeth Elliot and Amy Carmichael.
  
  
• Make a book list - 5 books I'm going to read in the next year maybe you'll pick one on godly women, one on parenting, one on marriage, one on home cleaning, whatever you choose, just be intentional about it.  

Remember, you have to have a plan!

A quick aside about having time or enough time. I'm not going to list all that I do with my six kids, but you and I both know that we make time for what is important to us.  

We have time waiting for gas, for appointments, for dinner to cook or be handed to us... 

If you watch a tv show regularly, you have time.  


If you talk on the phone regularly, you have time. 


If you go on Facebook at all, you have time. 


Consider the student that is in college and serious about her studies, she always has a book in her hand or study sheets or index cards.  It's about what your priority is and we'll talk about that more later.  


The point is... 

for the sake of your husband, 

for the sake of your marriage,  

for the sake of your children, 

for the sake of your ministry, 

for the sake of your friendships, 

for the sake of your walk with God...  

You have time, 

You make time.

Go Ye Therefore!

I have been hearing some talk lately that has me all fired up! I have heard talk from various people about needing to be the right type, ethnicity, personality, color, etc of person in order to reach others.


What a paralyzing and arrogant attitude to have!


Paralyzing in the fact that if I don't meet a certain criteria of person then God cannot use me in the lives of others. I think of Amy Carmichael in China and India, she was not a native to either country and she touched lives even as far reaching as my own heart! 

My kids are reading a book called The Peace Child about a couple in the 70s who went and ministered to cannibals - what race of person is the right fit for that ministry? 

Extra tasty? 

Maybe boney and unappetizing?


This idea is arrogant in the idea that God NEEDS us as though WE have anything to do with the salvation of others! Should God choose to bless us with the opportunity to reach others and should we be willing to answer that call - 

Praise be to God!

The great commission was a call to go to EVERY nation not just those that you identify with or might identify with you!


Let us not forget that it is God that works in people's hearts and it's HIS love that can overcome our differences!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

~ Ephesians 3:20-21