Without Words
Hello everyone,
How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in
the Lord. Happy new month. We thank God for bringing us to another month in
this year 2012.
Primary Text
“In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your
own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on
them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word
[of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of
their wives,” 1 Peter 3v1 (AMP)
“In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of
your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly
lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over …” 1 Peter
3v1 (NLT)
What message does your action and conduct convey to others?
That is, these things without words? What of as a wife? What do your actions
tell your husband? I am reminded on Psalm 1v1 (AMP) which says “Blessed (happy,
fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their
advice, their plans and purposes]…” Are you living a godly live or an ungodly
one, whereby you follow your own advice, plans and purposes, or the counsel of
those who do not regard God? The Bible here says that even without words,
husbands that do not obey the Word of God can be won over when they observe
their wife’s godly behavior. Veronica A. Robinson, writes in an article called Wives,
take your rightful position, which I would encourage you to read at http://www.sarasdaughters.com/articles.html, that:
“In the marriage, who should submit? Why would God require
the wife to submit in the marriage? How do you submit to someone who is not
saved? These are the questions I asked when I was seeking God’s direction
concerning my unequally yoked marriage. I was miserable and looking for a way
out of my marriage when a young lady slipped me a note, which read, “Husbands will
be won by your submission. Learning to walk in God’s love brings you into
submission. Claim the promise of 1 Peter 3:1.” I did just that and it worked
for me and now I’m claiming the same promise for all the 1 Peter 3 wives there
out there today.” (article is
continued below if you are interested).
Supplementary Text
“[Instructions for
Christian Households] Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for
those who belong to the Lord.” Colossians 3v18 (NLT)
Father, I thank You for Your Word this day. Father, we know
Your ways are best. We pray that You will bless our homes, that You will teach
every wife what submission really is, how to submit and give the to submit to
her own husband in Jesus name, amen.
Article by Veronica A. Robinson
continued:
“…I want to share with you in this article how God
ministered to me when I was seeking His direction regarding submission.
First, Who Should
Submit? Scripture clearly tell us it’s the wife’s responsibility to
be in subjection to her husband. This does not imply any kind of natural
inferiority on the part of the wife to her husband. In marriage, two
people become one. Therefore, there are two intellects, two sets of emotions,
and two wills that have been joined to constitute one. To keep the union
from fracturing and destroying itself, one of those persons is charged with
leadership in the relationship, and one is charged with submission.
So wives submit to your husband
as unto the Lord. This pleases God and it will make submitting a lot
easier to do.
A cheerful subjection, and a
loving, reverential respect, are duties which Christian women owe their
husbands, whether they be good or bad; these were due from Eve to Adam before
the fall, and are still required, though much more difficult now than they were
before, Gen 3:16; 1 Tim 2:11.
Why Should Wives Submit?
Their husbands may get saved as a
result of their behavior. “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to
your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the
word be won by the conversation of the wives;” 1 Peter 3:1, KJV
Wives sanctify unbelieving
husbands. “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and
if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the
unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife,” 1 Corinthians 7:13-14a, KJV
“For what knowest thou, O wife,
whether thou shalt save thy husband?” 1 Corinthians 7:16a, KJV
It was in 1982 when the note I
mentioned above was given to me. That note gave me hope. Hope to
stand in an unequally yoked marriage for ten years. My husband was lost
and I knew that Christ loved him just as much as He loved me. I knew it
was God’s desire that he not perish but come to repentance. I then submitted
to God’s will and allowed Him to use me as a vessel to draw my husband into the
kingdom. My husband chose to dwell with me in spite of my Christianity; I
continued walking in the light of the Word allowing it to change my behavior;
and God did the rest.
It has always been my desire to
experience the Christian marriage as God ordained it to be. But in
September 1992, after 28-1/2 years of marriage, my husband went home to be with
the Lord. His salvation meant more to me then anything else. It was
worth it all.
If your husband is lost and
pleased to dwell with you, you’re the closest one to him and God will use you
as a vessel to draw him into the kingdom, if you will let him. He will
give you the grace you need to endure in every situation. Lean not to
your own understanding but acknowledge God in all your ways and He will direct
your path.
The commands are clear in
the Word of God concerning why wives should submit to their husbands. Now, lets
look at some suggested ways of how to submit.
How Do You Submit To Someone
Who Is Not Saved?
Submit as unto the Lord. “Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” Ephesians
5:22, KJV
Renew your mind to the things
of God. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2, KJV
Obey not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. “Servants,
obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do
it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Colossians 3:22-23,
KJV
Be a doer of the word. “But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22, KJV
Polly Wigglesworth’s behavior
in her marriage when Smith Wigglesworth had fallen in a backslidden state is a
good example of how to submit. She never nagged her husband into changing
his attitudes. Over a period of two years in this ‘spiritual wilderness’,
she lovingly and prayerfully enticed her husband back to the place where he had
been on fire for his Lord.
For me personally, submission
came as I read and meditated on Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7. Reading
these chapters over and over again taught me how to walk in God’s love.
It helped me to focus on my behavior and not so much on my husband’s.
Taking it one day at a time, I renewed my mind in the Word, and purposed in my
heart to not be a hearer only but a doer of the Word.
Take a personal inventory of
your behavior in the marriage to ensure that you are not a hindrance to God’s
plan for your husband’s life. It’s so easy to look at and see the other
person’s fault. You must turn your focus inward and let God show you
yourself.
Submission is not
stupidity. Submission in marriage is God’s way of setting order in the
marriage union. Wives, submit to your husbands as unto the Lord.
Allow God to use you as a vessel to draw your husband into the kingdom.
Ask Him for wisdom, knowledge and understanding in your marriage. Take a
personal inventory of your behavior in the marriage on a daily basis to ensure
that you are not a hindrance to God’s plan for your husband’s life. Last,
but not least, learning to walk in God’s love will bring you in
submission. When confronted with difficult situations, put the question
before God. Ask Him, “What would you do if you were in my
situation?” Go to God with an open heart. Imagine your heart is a
blank sheet of paper and let God write upon your heart His will for you in your
marriage. His ways are not our ways and will oftentimes go against your
flesh. Submit your will to God and whatsoever you do, do it heartily as
to the Lord, and not unto men.
You have an awesome responsibility
and I will continue to pray for you and your marriage.
God Bless You.”
Comments
Post a Comment