A Christian Wife willingly Submits to her Husband~ {God’s Plan part 4}

Hi ladies! Today I want to share part 4 in my series called God's Plan for the Christian Wife. If you missed the previous ones, here are the links to check those out: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

For many women these days the word submission is like dirt in their mouths. From all I've heard and read I can tell they have the wrong perception of what true biblical submission really is. I have been there myself. I can tell you that listening to the wrong voices can throw any woman into a wave of confusion. It took the Holy Spirit and some spiritually mature and wise women to help me clearly understand what God meant by submission for a wife. Take a look at these scriptures. Pray for God to give you an open heart and mind to receive His truth.

1 Corinthians 11:3-9 The husband is head of his wife

KJV-
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

Let's look at these verses in other translations:

GNV (1599 Geneva Bible)-
3 But I will that ye know, that Christ is the head of every man: and the man is the woman’s head: and God is Christ’s head.
4 Every man praying or prophesying having anything on his head, dishonoreth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth bareheaded, dishonoreth her head: for it is even one very thing, as though she were shaven.
6 Therefore if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: and if it be shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man ought not to cover his head: forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.
9 For the man was not created for the woman’s sake: but the woman for the man’s sake.
10 Therefore ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the Angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, so is the man also by the woman: but all things are of God.

NKJV-
3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.
5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved.
6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man.
9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord.
12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

ESV-
3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.
7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.
8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 
9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 
10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 
12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

AMP-
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head (authority over) of every man, and man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head [and the One who is his head].
5 And every woman who prays or prophesies when she has her head uncovered disgraces her head; for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved [in disgrace].
6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not have his head covered [during worship], since he is the image and [reflected] glory of God; but the woman is [the expression of] man’s glory.
8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
9 for indeed man was not created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.
10 Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, for the sake of the angels [so as not to offend them].
11 Nevertheless, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also man is born through the woman; and all things [whether male or female] originate from God [as their Creator].

NASB-
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.
5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.
6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.
7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.


Let's look at more verses of a wife’s role:

Ephesians 5:22-24 and 30-33 Submission

In the Strong's Concordance submission is (#G5293) the word hupotasso which means- to subordinate (obey), put (rank) under, sub due unto, be in subjection to, submit self onto.
This is what a wife chooses to do voluntarily of her own free will. It is not meant as something she is forced to do by someone else.

KJV-
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 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.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 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.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

(Wives are to model "act out" the church being submissive to and glorifying Christ by submitting to their own husband's authority. This is a willingly and voluntarily response to God's will. Wives are fulfilling their God-given responsibility when willingly submitting to their own husband.)

Let's look at these verses in other translations:

GNV-
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the wife’s head, even as Christ is the head of the Church, and the same is the Savior of his body.
24 Therefore as the Church is in subjection to Christ, even so let the wives be to their husbands in everything.

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great secret, but I speak concerning Christ, and concerning the Church.
33 Therefore everyone of you, do ye so: let everyone love his wife, even as himself, and let the wife see that she fear her husband.

NKJV-
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

AMP-
²² Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord.
²³ For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body.
²⁴ As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.

30 Because we are members (parts) of His body.
31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
32 This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church.
33 However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects {and} reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].

ESV-
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.


Here is another verse stating a wife is to submit to her husband: Colossians 3:18:

KJV-
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Now let's take a look at this verse in other translations:

GNV-
Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as it is comely in the Lord.

AMP-
Wives, be subject to your husbands [subordinate and adapt yourselves to them], as is right and fitting and your proper duty in the Lord.

NASB-
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.


*See also: Genesis 2:18-24, Genesis 3:16, Esther 1:20, Proverbs 12:4, Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7, 1 Peter 3:1-2,5, Titus 2:5, and 1 Timothy 2:13.

*Be sure you don't miss my follow up post where I talk about "Ways a Wife shows a Lack of Submission".

Let’s ponder on this: When reading and studying the scriptures from Old to New Testament this is the way God designed marriage to be. There is nowhere in scripture that supports homosexual marriage being God's Will. As a matter of fact, you won’t find those two words being used together anywhere in scripture. There are NO examples (positive or accepting) of anyone in this type of relationship. That tells us it’s manmade and not God designed or approved of.

Think about this: How can a homosexual “marriage” fit into God’s design and purpose of Christ and His bride the Church? What grown man has a need for/want another grown man to lead, protect, and provide for him the way Christ does for His bride the church? What adult woman willingly submits to the leadership of another adult woman in the way a wife freely chooses to submit to her husband (the way the church submits to Christ)? Homosexual “marriages” have no head/leader or one who follows. These relationships can never be a picture of Christ and the church according to scripture. God designed marriage with a purpose that represents our relationship with Him. Homosexual “marriages” don’t represent this relationship. These “marriages” are self-driven and can never bring glory to the Father. The government may make it lawful to have homosexual “marriage” in the land, but that doesn't make it God's Will. Christians are to side up with God on this NOT the world. It is wrong to claim that disagreeing with someone about this is bigotry. Get this straight. This is what’s called taking a firm stance in staying loyal and true to one’s convictions and not being tossed to and fro like the waves of the sea. For believers of Christ, this is the biblical way which is the Heavenly Father's way. The question in our hearts must be "to whom am I really giving my allegiance to?"

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.

A Christian Wife should Not Deprive her husband~ {God’s Plan part 3}

Hello ladies. This is the 3rd part of my series "God's Plan for the Christian wife". Last time I shared about the Excellent Wife in Proverbs 31.  Today I want to share a topic that many Christian wives may shy away from or struggle with. My husband reminds me all the time we should not be afraid to share the Word of God unadulterated because it's absolute truth. God didn't see fit to leave sensitive subjects out so we should feel no shame in speaking about such matters either.

1 Corinthians 7:1-5 Sex within Marriage is very important because it's God’s Will.

KJV-
1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Things to consider: The sex act is a worshipful expression of the love, self-sacrifice, and union of the marriage relationship. Sex should be part of and the result of a loving marriage relationship, not just merely used as a physical release. It is not biblical to refuse sex as punishment or use it to gain control. Sex is designed to strengthen a relationship, not harm it. It is to be pleasurable and respectful. The focus is on one another. We should not practice being sexually selfish- forcing the other to do something they are not comfortable with, or unwilling to compromise on the frequency.

*For those who claim to be followers of Christ: You can’t find anywhere in scripture where it’s condoned/being acceptable by the Heavenly Father to live together (and/or having sex) before you are married. It does not matter if you already have kids and/or are engaged to be married. God does not call that marriage anywhere in the Bible, therefore it's not okay to ACT as though you are already a husband and wife. We must not be ruled by how we "feel". A true believer would not do things the way those in the world does it. We are to live to glorify God and obey His commands. Justifying reasons to go against the Word of God doesn't make it right in His eyes. Saying "He knows our heart" will not work either because it's twisting scripture. Understand that living this way does not represent what His whole purpose of marriage is all about. We must remember who we will have to answer to in the end.

You can read John Gill’s commentary to get a better understanding.

Let's take a look at this verse in other translations:

GNV (1599 Geneva Bible)-
1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, It were good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband give unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not the power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not the power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and again come together, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

NKJV-
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

ESV-
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote” “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

NASB-
1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

AMP-
1 Now as to the matters of which you wrote: It is good (beneficial, advantageous) for a man not to touch a woman [outside marriage].
2 But because of [the temptation to participate in] sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 The husband must fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife [with good will and kindness], and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have [exclusive] authority over her own body, but the husband shares with her; and likewise the husband does not have [exclusive] authority over his body, but the wife shares with him.
5 Do not deprive each other [of marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves [unhindered] to prayer, but come together again so that Satan will not tempt you [to sin] because of your lack of self-control.

*See also: 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 7:9, Proverbs 5:18-19, and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

Let us pray to not be selfish to our husband with our body:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for opening our eyes and helping us to see in Your Word that our bodies are not our own when we marry. Help us wives, to be obedient to Your Word by not depriving our husbands. It is not right for a Christian wife to be selfish with her body. Sexual intimacy has always been Your Will for married couples since the beginning and it’s a beautiful thing. May we be mindful that refusing our mates sexually could open the door of temptation from Satan to us or to our husbands. We don't want to follow the perverted and wicked ways of our culture. May we allow our intimacy to help create a strong marital bond with our mates in Jesus’ name. Amen!

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.

Traits of an Excellent Wife

In my last post, I shared part 2 of God's Plan for the Christian Wife. One of my favorite books on biblical marriage is “The Excellent Wife” by Martha Peace. At the beginning of her book, she has a picture of a flower.

On the petals, she lists some of the 21 traits of the wife described in Proverbs 31. On page 4 Martha explains the purpose of the traits by saying:

“As these traits, or excellencies, are developed in a woman, her life will begin to glorify God. As a beautiful flower in the light of the morning sun reflects the glory of God’s creation, an excellent wife reflects God’s glory by her attitude and actions.”

Here are the 21 traits that stood out to me ( in Proverbs 31:10-31):

1. She is virtuous.
2. She is of exceptional worth.
3. She is trusted by her husband.
4. She is good to her husband.
5. She works hard with her hands.
6. She is careful.
7. She makes wise choices.
8. She is thrifty.
9. She is spiritually strong.
10. She is generous.
11. She is not afraid.
12. She puts her trust in the Lord.
13. She is respectful to her husband.
14. She is faithful.
15. She has the right attitude about life.
16. She lets only wisdom come from her tongue.
17. She is kind.
18. She watches over the ways of her household and manages her home well.
19. She is blessed by her children.
20. She is praised by her husband.
21. She fears the Lord.

I’m sure there are more things that could be said of her. What about you…what traits do you observe when you read about this woman?

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.

The Excellent Wife who fears the Lord~ {God’s Plan part 2}

Hi ladies! I’m back to share the next part of my series God’s Plan for Christian Wives. Today we will take a look at what most people refer to as the “Proverbs 31 Woman”.

Proverbs 31:10-31- Christian Wives should strive to be an Excellent (Virtuous, and Worthy) Wife [Who fears the Lord]

KJV-
10. Who can find a virtuous woman?
for her price is far above rubies.
11. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,
so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12. She will do him good and not evil
all the days of her life.
13. She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands.
14. She is like the merchants' ships;
she bringeth her food from afar.
15. She riseth also while it is yet night,
and giveth meat to her household,
and a portion to her maidens.
16. She considereth a field, and buyeth it:
with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17. She girdeth her loins with strength,
and strengtheneth her arms.
18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good:
her candle goeth not out by night.
19. She layeth her hands to the spindle,
and her hands hold the distaff.
20. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;
yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household:
for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry;
her clothing is silk and purple.
23. Her husband is known in the gates,
when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it;
and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25. Strength and honour are her clothing;
and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom;
and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27. She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29. Many daughters have done virtuously,
but thou excellest them all.
30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31. Give her of the fruit of her hands;
and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Let’s take a look at how these verses of scripture read in other translations with some added notes:

NKJV-

The Virtuous Wife

10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

(Here we are learning about her marriage and character as a wife. Her husband trusts her. He doesn't have to worry about what is going to happen to his resources. She has his best interest in mind. She shows her love and affection for him by her consistent stewardship, and service on his behalf. She is graciously submissive and advances his respect.)

(verses 13-24 does well at describing her behavior.)

13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

(She demonstrates compassion toward those not fortunate enough to be in her home.)

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.

(Through these verses we learn about her devotion as a homemaker. Her main focus is the home. She loves being a homemaker. She adds productivity of the family. Her strength is the result of giving herself away to her household.)

(verses 25-27 emphasizes her character.)

25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

(Here we learn about her influence as a teacher in the home. It starts with her character. She's clothed with spiritual strength. She teaches with kindness, mercy, graciousness, gentleness, and compassion. She lives what she teaches.)

27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

(She's blessed as a mother. Her children reverence her. Her husband praises her. Verses 28-29 describe her family life.)

29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

(Here we see her excellence as a woman of God. She fears the Lord and is a worshipper of God. Verses 30-31 summarize her spiritual life.)

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

ESV-

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10. An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11. The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12. She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13. She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14. She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15. She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16. She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17. She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19. She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20. She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21. She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22. She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23. Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24. She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25. Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26. She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27. She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28. Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29. “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31. Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

NASB-

Description of a Worthy Woman

10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

AMP-

Description of a Worthy Woman

10 An excellent woman [one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous], who is he who can find her?
Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her [with secure confidence],
And he will have no lack of gain.

12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good and not evil
All the days of her life.

13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with willing hands in delight.

14 She is like the merchant ships [abounding with treasure];
She brings her [household’s] food from far away.

15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And assigns tasks to her maids.

16 She considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently];
With her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.
 
17 She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task]
And makes her arms strong.

18 She sees that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands hold the spindle [as she spins wool into thread for clothing].

20 She opens and extends her hand to the poor,
And she reaches out her filled hands to the needy.

21 She does not fear the snow for her household,
For all in her household are clothed in [expensive] scarlet [wool].

22 She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry.
Her clothing is linen, pure and fine, and purple [wool].

23 Her husband is known in the [city’s] gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes [fine] linen garments and sells them;
And supplies sashes to the merchants.

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure;
And she smiles at the future [knowing that she and her family are prepared].

26 She opens her mouth in [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue [giving counsel and instruction].

27 She looks well to how things go in her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity).

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired);
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying,

29 “Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness],
But you excel them all.”

30 Charm and grace are deceptive, and [superficial] beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the product of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city].

*See also Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 18:22, Proverbs 19:14, Proverbs 11:16, Proverbs 14:1,
1 Timothy 2:9-10, and 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

Let us pray to be Excellent wives for our husbands:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for showing us in Your Word a description of an Excellent, Virtuous, Worthy wife. Although this was Solomon’s mother (Bathsheba) talking to him about the type of wife that’s fit for a king, there is much wisdom for us wives to glean from these character traits. Help us to be Excellent Wives to our own husbands. With the help of Your Holy Spirit in us we can be Excellent, Virtuous, and Worthy wives who fear the Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

*Be sure to head over and read where I share Traits of an Excellent Wife.

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.

Practical ways a wife can be a Help Meet

In my last post, I shared about God’s Will for the Christian wife. One way is in Genesis 2:18 where it says she is to be her husband’s help meet. A wife can help her husband emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and sexually. I looked around for ideas others shared about a wife’s role of being her husband’s helper. I wrote a list of practical ways to carry this out day-to-day that I wanted to share here in hopes of blessing other wives as well.

Practical ways a wife can be her husband’s Help meet:

* Support her husband in what he believes he’s called to do. (his vision)
* Adapt herself to her husband's callings and endeavors in life.
* Show support for her husband’s vision by using her God-given gifts/skills and abilities to help him in ways he needs it.
* Show him she is loyal to his wises, goals, and standards for their family. He needs her to believe in him.
* She should honor his leadership. (She must learn to trust God when she observes weaknesses in her husband.)
* She should follow his lead without grumbling, criticizing, and second-guessing his decisions
* She should line up her priorities with his vision for their family.
* She should assist him with tasks when he needs her help.
* He needs her to encourage and pray for him when he/they are going through tough times. (This is not the time to blame him.)
* She should be enthusiastic, express confidence in him, and praise his achievements. (Be his CHEERLEADER!)
* She should try to create a home environment where he can relax and enjoy life.
* She should seek his counsel on spiritual matters.
* She should resist the urge to condemn him (constantly remind him of his shortcomings and failures).
* She should praise his strengths and efforts/when he makes wise decisions.
* She should express how grateful she is to him for all he does for her and their family (like being a hard worker and even for the small stuff he does).
* She should work WITH HIM instead of against him (like arguing and fussing at him).
* If she has been leading the marriage and family, she should step back from controlling these areas of their lives, and hand over the reins to her husband.
* She should show interest in things that he likes to do. (Be his friend and spend time with him doing what he likes)
*She should be there for her husband when he wants her close.
* She should respond to his need for intimacy with her.
* Most importantly she should spend time in God's Word daily, as well as make a habit of praying for her husband daily. She can pray for things like his spiritual growth, leadership, job, attitude, heart, health, relationships, as so on. (As Regina noted in the comments: Spending time in God's Word daily will help us wives have a better attitude to set the tone for the rest of our day.)

I know there’s much more that could be added to this list. The main thing is for a wife to get to know HER husband, and be the kind of helper HE needs her to be. Every husband is different and unique so a wise wife will study HER man and learn HIS likes and dislikes. In order for us to be able to practice these things daily, we wives should spend time daily in the Word.

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.

God’s Plan for Christian Wives

Hello dear readers. I have been thinking for some time about revamping a series of old posts from my old blog back in 2015 (Think Outside the Box). I’m calling this series “God’s Plan for Christian Wives”. It will be a 6 part series where I will come in and share scripture, words, and definitions from the Strong’s Bible Concordance, as well as some other references. I hope you join me each week and even share helpful thoughts as you ponder God’s Word. Let’s begin part 1 with a scripture from the 1st book of the Bible.

Genesis 2:18- To be her husband's help meet

KJV- And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

In the Strong’s Concordance help meet is (#H5828) the word ezer which means- A help, aid, or helper.
This is what a godly wife is to be to her husband. 

This is what I’m continually striving to grow into daily with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Let's take a look at this verse and this word used in different translations:

GNV (Geneva Bible 1599)- Also the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be himself alone: I will make him an help meet for him.

NKJV- And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

AMP- Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial, sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper (one who balances him- a counterpart who is suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.”

ESV- Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

NASB- Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

* See also Genesis 2:20, Proverbs 18:22, Proverbs 31:11, Ecclesiastes 4:9-11, and 1 Corinthians 11:9.

Note: Do you notice in the scriptures it does NOT say anything about a wife her completing her husband? A man nor woman can complete one another. Only God can fill that need in us. To think otherwise is false and worldly thinking. If you don't agree that this is what God is calling a wife to do, I challenge you to first pray for God to lead you to His truth on this matter. Next with an open heart and mind, fully search God’s Word (the scriptures) about this. Once I made up my mind to die to myself, submit to/accept God’s Will on this, I was able to understand what He was calling me to do. I have not regretted making that decision.

Here is a commentary by John Gill with a good explanation of what this scripture is saying.

Let’s us pray to be in God’s Will as godly wives:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for showing us in Your Word the purpose for why You created Eve for Adam. You are the one who said it was not good for man to be alone and you created a help meet for him. This shows us wives what Your purpose is for our own marriages. Forgive us Father for not obeying You in this either through our lack of knowledge of the scriptures, or by not submitting to You through willful disobedience. Help us Holy Spirit to do God’s Will by being a help meet to our own husbands in Jesus’ name. Amen.

***Update: Here are the other parts of this series:
How to be a Help meet
Part 2- The Wife who fears the Lord
Excellent Wife Traits
Part 3- You should not deprive your husband
Part 4- Willing Submit to his God-given authority
When wives shows a lack of submission
Part 5- A wife's God-given role
More on Titus chapter 2
Part 6- Wives with an unsaved husband
Submission is NOT...

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.

TSW Daybook~ August 2019

For Today: 8/5/19

_____________________________

Looking out my window

It’s nice and sunny outside.
Our high for today is 88 degrees.

I am thinking

I need to update and refresh some old blog posts.

I am thankful

For God's provision each day.

One of my favorite things

     Drinking homemade iced tea and lemonade in the summer.

I am creating

A list of food items I need to replace with better options (nutrition-wise).

I am wearing

An orange blouse, black capris, and brown flip flops.

I am reading

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

I’m watching

Cooking videos on Youtube :-)

I’m listening to

The sound of the T.V. playing in the background.

I am hoping

We get to visit that place we've been talking about checking out in town that has fresh homegrown seasonal produce all year long.

I am learning

Why eating foods prepared the traditional way is healthier than all the popular diet trends out there thanks to reading Nourishing Traditions. 

In my kitchen

Blueberry and Strawberry Freezer Jams

I have been making freezer jams for the first time ever this summer. I have made several flavors like these strawberry and blueberry ones shown above. I didn't know what I was missing.

YUM!!!

Board room

Speaking of freezer jams you can check out my Freezer Jams board for ideas on different flavor combinations:

https://www.pinterest.com/ML0TB/jams-and-jellies/freezer-jams/

Post Script

There is a website dedicated to cooking traditional foods I just learned about called Mary's Nest Cooking School. I will be visiting this site often for more ideas. I also ran across the Nourishing Traditions website.

Shared Quote

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." 

-Mark Twain

A moment from my day

Club "Sandwich" Salad

I’m still making salads each week. My family has enjoyed the variety of new ones we have tried so far. I keep finding new ones to try on Pinterest.

Closing Notes

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you get a chance to read other ladies Simple Woman Journal posts. Just head on over to our host site to see more.

______________________________

© My Life 0utside The Box 2016-2019. All Rights Reserved. All photos, text, personal videos, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the blog author.