Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Wives
Okay, first things first. Husbands, I do NOT suggest you show this to your wives with a, "SEE, God says it!" attitude. Make sure you are doing YOUR role in the marriage before you take that on.
Christian wives, listen up. And those who want to be wives someday. (If you are not a Christian, this won't make any sense to you, but you still might get something out of it. ) I have some things to say that you probably won't like. Oh well. God says it, He tells me to write it and so I do. Take it up with Him if you don't like it. See how far you get.
If you'd like to read a FASCINATING survey of 400 men, go to the website below *. You can become a member for free in order to read the survey. But for this particular blog I'm going to use one question they asked:

Think about what these two negative experiences would be like: to feel alone and unloved in the world OR to feel inadequate and disrespected by everyone. If you were forced to choose one, which would you prefer? Would you rather feel...? {Choose One Answer}

Respondents Who Answered Question: 400
Alone And Unloved: 73.8%
Inadequate And Disrespected: 26.3%
Total: 100%


Wives, did you READ that??? Do you realize that your husband most likely wants RESPECT from you most of all? Now, what does God's Word say? "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Ephesians 5:22 NASU
Here's a head's up, ladies. You are in direct DISOBEDIENCE to God if you are not subject to your husband. What does subject mean?
  1. to arrange under, to subordinate
  2. to subject, put in subjection
  3. to subject one's self, OBEY
  4. to submit to one's control
  5. to yield to one's admonition or advice
  6. to obey, be subject
A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden"
YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE. YOU are not the one who gets to call the shots. YOU are not the one who gets to make all the decisions. YOU are NOT to rule OVER your husband. You are NOT the one GOD has put in control.
So, some of you are saying, "But he's not doing it!" Or, "He doesn't do it the right way." Or, "He's too lazy to do it."
Listen VERY carefully. IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO FIX HIM!!!!!!!! Ladies, if I could shout this to you, I would. It is GOD'S job to fix your husband. GET OUT OF HIS WAY! He WILL run you over if He has to. It is NOT a pretty sight. For the sake of your marriage, your children and YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, give him to GOD. Did you realize that disrespecting your husband as the head of your household is keeping you from being closer to Christ??? It's sin and sin keeps us from growing in Christ. It's that simple.
The Holy Spirit is the ONLY One who can change hearts. You, dear ladies, are NOT Him. Say it out loud...I'M NOT GOD.
The survey results tell me something. They tell me one of the biggest reasons WHY marriages are dying. I know so many marriages where the wife is the head of the household. She is the one who manipulates things to get her own way. She is the one who whines or nags or cries about what she wants until the husband gives in. Now, the husband has a role in all of this which is addressed in Scripture pretty strongly. Being a woman, it is not my place to take that one on. Maybe my hubby will. ;-)
Women, if you are nagging your husband you are WRONG in the sight of God. If you are manipulating your husband to get your way, you are WRONG. If you are not letting HIM be the one in charge, you are wrong. You are ALSO wrong if you tear him down in front of others. You are wrong to say negative things about him to your children which tear him down in their precious little eyes. Snide remarks count here! You are WRONG to use those same beautiful children against your husband, ESPECIALLY to get your way. You are wrong to try to be the one who rules the roost.
God says in Genesis 3:16, "Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." NASU
Desire here has several meanings. In this context, it means:
1. desire, longing, craving
2. of beast to devour
This is the SAME usage of the original Greek word in this Scripture: Genesis 4:7
"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
NASU

Do you GET it? Your wanting to have your way is SIN wanting to have ITS way in your marriage. You are letting SIN and satan have your marriage. You are ALLOWING sin to take over. You are not allowing your husband to be in control and therefore are getting in the way of GOD! Who do you THINK is going to win THAT battle? Let me tell you...it's not YOU.
Is it easy? Not by a long shot. No battle against sin is. Thanks to Eve, this is something EVERY wife deals with in one form or another. But is it something we HAVE to battle against for our marriages.
Let me give you a few things you can do to start the process.
1. GET ON YOUR KNEES BEFORE GOD - nothing gets us more prepared for being under our husband's authority than being under God's first and foremost. He called us to it, ladies. He will get us through it. During that time on your knees PRAY FOR YOUR HUSBAND. Pray for a softened heart if you have a critical spirit. Pray for your husband to desire God's will for your lives. Pray for your husband to long for God first and foremost.
2. GIVE HIM A COMPLIMENT - TELL that man you love how proud of him you are, and let your kids hear you say it. I can pretty much guarantee you will see a huge smile on his face. If you see him get a confused look, then you know you have a LOT of work to do in building that man up! You've done some damage and God will work in you to fix it!
3. SUPPORT HIS DECISIONS - even if you don't agree with them. You two are not the same person. You are both individuals, BUT respecting him and being subject to him means you follow what HE says not what you want. We do that with God and our lives work out MUCH better for it. This doesn't mean you keep your opinions to yourself. God doesn't tell us to be a doormat. BUT He wants us to respect the authority structure He's given us. I am free to tell my husband I disagree with him on something. Sometimes I give him a perspective which he didn't think of himself. That may change his mind. Other times his mind is set and that's fine. I've voiced my opinion and I trust God enough that He'll take care of me. I trust my husband as well, that he loves me as Christ loves the church. Again, that gets into the husband's role in all of this. :-) If you don't trust God or your husband then you have MUCH deeper issues to work on!
4. LOVE HIM THE WAY CHRIST WOULD - that means ALL of him. Not just the things you LIKE about him. Christ loved your husband enough the way he is to die for him. Your husband is the man you promised God you would love forever. That means something to God and it should mean something to you. DON'T TRY TO CHANGE HIM. If you want to destroy a marriage fast, go ahead and think you can change that man. You don't have the power. Give it up and let God. He's MUCH better at it.
There is so much to this. I wish I could sit down with all of you and explain just how crucial it is to get this right.
For those who are in abusive relationships...my heart breaks for you. Know that God sees you and loves you more than you can imagine. That is not the kind of relationship I'm discussing here. That's another situation entirely.
If you want to be divorced, keep doing things the way you've been doing them. Allow your own desire for control to keep you from the fulfilling life and marriage God wants for you. If you want an abundant marriage full of joy and happiness, do it God's way. It's more than worth the fight. I know. :-) I have one of those great marriages and I wish it for all of you.
*Survey used from the book, "For Women Only" by Shaunti Feldhahn The professional survey was designed with the guidance of Chuck Cowan of Analytic Focus (www.analyticfocus.com), the former chief of survey design at the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey was conducted by Decision Analyst (www.decisionanalyst.com) and was designed to deliver a random, representative, national sample of 400 men (the sample size suggested by Chuck Cowan) who were heterosexual, lived within the U.S., and were between the ages of 21 and 75. (copied from website http://www.4-womenonly.com/home.aspx) I HIGHLY recommend it and it's companion book, "For Men Only" written by the same author and her husband Jeff.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I have a feeling this is going to get a LOT of people uptight. But, I have to do what God tells me to do. For those who know me, do you expect anything else? :-)

Okay, I'm reading in my Beth Moore Bible study (Living Beyond Yourself - Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit) today and come across something that just reinforced my understanding of life beginning at conception. See where this might get sticky for some?

The lesson is on humilty. Elizabeth's life of humility was lived out in front of John (who became John the Baptist and was spoken of, by Christ, as great among men.
Matthew 11:11
"Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
NASU

So, in the passage where Scripture tells us Elizabeth will have the child John, we see this phrase in the New American Standard Version: Luke 1:15
"...and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb."
NASU

Now, in order to understand why this particular version is necessary, I have to tell you that there is concesus among Bible scholars as to this NAS version being the most accurate translation of the original languages. If you read this verse in the NIV, you find that it says "from birth". A much different meaning for what God revealed to me. The NIV is known for being a paraphrased translation.

If we, as Christians, believe that Jesus Christ NEVER died prior to His death on the cross then we HAVE to believe that life begins at conception! Otherwise, when He left heaven to be planted in Mary's womb, there was a time when He was not "living". He was not in heaven. We are told He gave UP His place in heaven to become fully Man for the forgiveness of our sins. SO, either He was in heaven until some time after the conception of Him in Mary's womb (which we do NOT have told to us in the Scriptures) OR life begins at conception!

I know many of you are saying, "Yeah, that's what I've always believed. What's the big deal?" The big deal is that we have Scriptural backing FOR that belief in the form of our Lord and Savior! Also, for those who may have thought there was some time after the egg is fertilized in which life happens, we don't have any basis for that according to our belief in Christ.

There may be women reading this blog who have had abortions. My heart aches for you. I cannot imagine the pain. I CAN imagine, and have felt, the forgiveness of our loving Savior. Open your heart to Him and allow that pain to be healed in His mighty compassion for you. I am not intending to make that pain more difficult. I cannot keep silent about the things God gives me, though.

I hope this makes sense. I'm writing it as quickly as I can type! The excitement overwhelmed me and, frankly, I HAD to get it out. My poor hubby got a phone call from me a few minutes ago and he probably thought I was going slightly nuts. :-) Well, more nuts than I already am! :-)