A CHRIST-LIKE WOMAN = A CHRIST-LIKE WIFE

Proverbs 31:29-31 Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

It is interesting that Proverbs 31 was not from King Solomon as we often assume all the Proverbs are but King Lemuel, and these sayings were taught to him by his mother. Maybe it is more fitting that a woman or better yet a mother could tell her son what to look for in a wife. More often than not the young man looking for a wife is caught up in romance and the beauty of the young lady. At this point in his life his view of her is much too superficial. He isn’t thinking about her character, and if it is noble or not. He is not interested in her potential to make him wealthy, or how clean she will keep the house. He isn’t even interested in her intelligence. His full attention is to her beauty and charm. It is only after they have been married some time that the real evaluation of his decision begins to take place. It is when the beauty begins to fade, the talk is less romantic, and their time together becomes more of criticism, and demand. Then some day for some reason they notice that they have lost that loving feeling just as the song goes. The thing is it does not have to be this way. Even if the beginning of the relationship is superficial there is hope that their loving feeling for each other will only grow. And there is really no reason why it can not.

What divides most loving relationships is when the couple or person begins to put themselves before the other person. When I talked to a couple that wanted me to do a wedding service for them most didn’t want counseling. If they didn’t want it, I did not make them. But I always added bit of advice anyway. I told them that if they always put their mate first before themselves they would never have to worry about themselves. The husband should always want to bless his wife and she him. The problem comes when they no long try, or feel that the other person doesn’t care about them.

My wife Beckie and I started dating in high school. I don’t know how many times she broke up with me or I with her, but our attraction for each other kept drawing us back together. I don’t know if I can say that we were destined for each other , but I believe that God in his mercy and grace sure knew that I needed Beckie and my life wouldn’t be as wonderful without her. I can honestly say that I have never regretted a moment in our life together that I married her. She has always been more than loving , kind, patient, understanding, helpful, encouraging, forgiving, humble, and yes did I mention LOVING ! It was her love that made all the above so special, and will always remain in my heart. I may forget my name, but she has engraved her name and love deep in my heart. She has been a wonderful loving mother and now grandmother. She loves her daughter-in-law and son-in-law, and I know is an inspiration to them. She has helped many ladies to become Christians and has mentored many more. To this day she helps lead a weekly Bible Study for ladies in our community and helps out at our church, and in her spare time she helps take care of her mother and myself. As wonderful as Beckie is and has been all her life it wasn’t until 1974 that her life drastically changed. We had been married a few months and being without a job she decided to go to a Bible Study in our little town of Hillsboro, Illinois. A catholic nun had started a non-denominational study for the ladies of our community. One day I came home for lunch and as she greeted me at the door, her bottom lip was quivering and tears were streaming down her cheeks. When I asked her what was wrong all she could say was, “It was so wonderful!” Being a guy I had a hard time figuring that out, but in less than a year I would be saying the same thing. You see Beckie had become a born again Christian. Jesus had not only forgiven her of her sins, but he had come into her heart. From that moment on Beckie began to not only put me first, but started treating me like Jesus. Her love for me began to transform me in ways I didn’t even realizing I was changing. Soon I became a born again Christian too. Now I could not only put her before myself, but treat her like I would Jesus.

Beckie, Jesus and I have had forty-three wonderful years together. I am sure somehow Beckie and I could have had a good marriage and relationship without Jesus, but with Jesus in our relationship, marriage and our personal lives in my opinion it couldn’t have been better. We have had difficult times as any marriage and life will have. I have regrets and could have been a better husband, but I did the best I could and what I may have messed up Jesus fixed up!

King Lemuel’s mother gave him some good advice in choosing a wife, but I can add another piece of advice. It is one that she could have not known about and that was about Jesus. This is to become a Christian and put him first in our life. Then find a lady that loves Jesus with all her heart, soul, mind and strength, and puts Jesus first in her life. Then make Jesus the center and focus of your lives and marriage for as long as you live. Not only will you have a happy wife, but you will both have a happy life together.

Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit for the way you can take two people and make them one in Jesus. Thank you for the way you interweave the fruit of your Spirit in and among us making our marriage as well as our lives Christ-like! We love you Lord!

#DailyDevotionals