Illustration Courtesy of BreezyTulip’s Studio
We have been given our assignment: the wise woman is to build her home (Proverbs 14:1a).
As I mentioned in Part One, this means “nurturing and training our family. Building relationships that will endure and thrive in this chaotic world. Making the Lord Jesus Christ the center of your home.” But how does that look in the day-to-day life?
Well, since each of us are in different stages of life with varying ages and numbers of children it will look different in each home – but the principles in God’s word can be put into action in each of our homes.
Put Jesus Christ at the center of your life and everything you do. If you belong to Christ, you are not your own. Die to selfishness and live for Jesus Christ! This isn’t something that you do once and then have mastered. It is a daily decision, hourly and yes, at times, second by second. Selfishness tears down your house. Dying to yourself builds your home.
Titus 2:2-3 and Ephesians 5:33 talk about us respecting our husbands and showing Christ’s unconditional love. We need to work on this daily. Ladies, if you are having a hard time respecting/loving your husbands then you need to be praying for God’s help and asking Him to not only help you respect/love your husband more, but to reveal to you your character flaws so that you can begin dealing with them. Usually when we are having a hard time respecting/loving our husbands, our own attitudes are pretty rotten and we are not very lovable.
Then decide to respect/love your husband! Put it into action! Your children are watching you and taking notes on how to put that in practice in their own families one day. That should be enough of a motivation right there to get you headed on the right track. You are building your home every time you choose to honor your husband instead of getting frustrated.
Love those children that God has blessed you with. Spend time with your children. Speak words of life to them with kindness (Proverbs 15:1-2, 31:26). Talk to them about life, read great books to them, train them how to work and to be diligent. Not only what you say, but how you say it will reveal your heart attitude toward God and your children. These times of talking with your children can become wonderful times of growth for your children and yourself. With your husband, discipline your children biblically so that they understand right and wrong and what it means to respect authority.
If you find that your children are driving you crazy, then you really need to look at how you are disciplining them. Are you being consistent and teaching them to have a servant’s heart? Again, you need to model a servant’s heart toward every member of your family so that they will see it lived out and want to copy you. Well, they will copy you rather you are doing a good job or not. Again, great motivation!
Let your family see you being joyfully submissive and content. Be quick to ask forgiveness when you fail, and be quick to offer forgiveness when others sin against you.
Putting all these things into practice takes time and diligence. It is not a quick fix. It is a life-style founded on the Scriptures. It is a healthy dose of both stabilizing law and sanctifying love. It is the way to building up your home. It is being a wise woman.
“But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; But only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’” —Luke 10:41-42 (NASB)
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I love these posts Robin–all filled with so much truth:-) It can be so hard to do all of what you wrote about, we are pulled in so many directions. Yet, I find the more I stay home and centered here, live mindfully and intentionally in the here and now, fulfilling these mandates is much easier. God Bless!
Robin~Very good counsel–thanks for sharing this wisdom:)
It is worship to serve our families in Joy, emptied of self. It changes the whole spirit of our homes. And, even knowing that, I can still choose to be self centered some days. Thankfully, my Father is patient and will complete this good work He has begun in me!!
Excellent principles, thank you so very much. I’m finding that my hobbies should be placed on hold when my children are up and around me during the day so that I may be fully present for them. That is, unless we share a hobby we can do together, which is another great idea.
I find if I’m at the computer I start to see that attention getting behavior crop up or they desire my time and attention. A small sacrifice to put the computer/scrapbook/book away until the children are in bed so that I may fully live in each day God has given me with these blessings.
Thank you again, this was wonderful!
Awesome Post!! Love it! Perfect for me today (and tomorrow)!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!
Hugs and Blessings – LORi
thanks so much for your words. it gives me something to strive for. God Bless You!!!!
Thank you for this reminder! Such important words to remember and ACT out. It’s so easy to get off track. When we submit and respect our husband, the Lord blesses our lives even more. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouraging!
Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
Love this post & I agree! A friend once said at the end of the day look in the mirror and say, “I did the best I could, but tomorrow I’m going to do better.” That statement just went into my spirit & helped so much. Determination!
The greatest gift my mother gave me is seeing her joy in being a homemaker and mother, even though she had a hard life, an unsupportive husband and no support. But she loved making a home and tried her best to make it a calm and loving one. It was not perfect but she still conveyed the joy and honor of homemaking to my sister and I. I now convey that same message to my daughters (20 and 14). Since they have been babies I have brought them along side me and my day, telling them that their home is the first place God has given them to sever and service is a joy. It looks different for each of us but yet we still sever those we love. I am grateful to my mother for all she has taught me. Clarice
Amen, what a GREAT post!!!!!
Those words were just what I needed today!! I wrote some things on a index card so I can be reminded of them throughout my week. Thank you Robin for being a great Titus 2 woman! I am so blessed by your words of wisdom and encouragement!
By His Grace,
Dawn
Once a very wise woman told me, if you & your husband were at the bottom of a triangle, one on each side, the closer you both get to God, the closer you also get to one another. Thank you for your honest, good post – it is wonderful! I LOVE my husband of 49 years & I know it has been God that has taken us through the good and the bad – together. Our two daughters also keep God in their lives first – the ONLY way. We ALWAYS had a Bible Study after dinner, only taking about 15 minutes, yet our daughters remembered that too. Closer yet to God. You are right – history repeats itself! One generation learning from the previous one – that is you & your husband. I’m so thankful that God has always been so good & patient with ME. Sometimes I seem to miserably fail, yet He comes back to me with welcoming arms!
OH LOVED this
Blessings,
Tami
PRAYING 4 A MIRACLE 4 JEREMIAH
http://www.tillGodbringsthemhome.blogspot.com
Thanks for the post! I am a young mother, or think i am
who has a huge burden for women to see our true calling. I am thankful for your posts & appreciate a mother who is willing to stand in the gap for her family and then be a Titus women and teach the younger. What a blessing, keep posting, so many need it. It is an encouragement to me to see others with the same heart and burden. Thanks again sister.
Laurie Isaiah 41:9-10
This is something I needed to hear today. I think I will print this out and read it often. So often my own selfishness gets in the way of being all that God has called me to be. Thank you for this article!
Wonderful post!
Please pray for me, as I feel that I try so hard to be diligent and consistent, but my 5 year old and 3 year old do drive me nuts here and there. I do seek to discipline with a Biblical perspective, yet have been criticized from both ends of the spectrum – I have family who think I’m too lenient and family who think I abuse my children. I just want to teach them to love God and love people. It sounds simple, but it’s a very hard job.
Hi Tammy, I can COMPLETELY relate! I have also have a 5 and 3 year old, plus an almost 2 year old! I just recently got the book “Heartfelt Discipline, The Gentle Art of Training and Guiding Your Children” by Clay Clarkson. It is so very encouraging, and I think you might also be encouraged by it. Also, check out anything by Sally Clarkson – her books are gems (she also has a blog at itakejoy.com).
AGAIN, I am so blessed by this blog. God is really using it to speak to my heart and move me into an exciting journey!