Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Faithful Wife

A Few Characteristics of the Faithful Wife

1. She keeps covenant with her husband long term. She is sexually faithful and mentally faithful. She is a one-man woman.

2. She shows mercy and extends long-term forgiveness to her husband.

3. She is verbally faithful and will conceal a matter when it is prudent to do so. She is not loose-lipped.

4. She walks through trials and afflictions by faith, trusting the Lord and encouraging her husband.

5. She looks for her duties in the big things and in the little things.

6. She looks to express her faith by pursuing virtue.

7. She does not waver and is faithful till death.

What kinds of things hinder faithfulness?

1. Unbelief. We forget our promises; we fail to look to God for the strength to fulfill our vows. We take our promises lightly.

2. Lack of loyalty. Some wives never really leave and cleave. They have taken their husband's name, but have not identified wholly with him and with his people.

3. Caring too much about the wrong things, like other people's opinions. Women can be lead into unfaithfulness by listening to the wrong things, whether it is other wives complaining about their husbands, or daydreaming about some knight in shining armor.

4. Not following his lead, not staying on the same page. Some wives do not like their husband's style of leadership. They want to lead their husbands into a kind of feminine ideal of what male leadership looks like.

5. Being careless in the little things leads to unfaithfulness in the big things.God is pleased when we trust Him. When we are faithful over a little, our responsibilities expand. Faith is always the starting point, and a mustard-seed size faith does wonders. In a world that does not understand loyalty and fidelity, a faithful woman is hard to find.

Solomon says this about the disloyal, unfaithful woman: And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her. (Ecclesiastes 7:26)