When you listen to a sermon that exhorts hearers to extend grace to others as grace has been fully given to them, you may nod your head in agreement but your mind is puzzled about how you might actually do that.
A mavelous theory ... a great idea ... but how will I actually extend grace, what does that even mean? what does it look like practically? So you stow it away in a card file of "good ideas" in your brain, but keep on living life as usual.
In a conversation today with a friend, I challenged him to move beyond the "idea" and toward the practical living.
How will you bless and honor the reputation, family, and heart of the woman you love?
One practical way Mike honors and blesses me is through prayer.
This may sound trite. One of those things in your card file ... you know you should do it ... but honestly ... what good could it actually do?
From the beginning of our relationship, Mike would end each of our conversations over skype or the phone with prayer. Take it from a woman whose man leads her spiritually in this manner, I am blessed, encouraged, and proud that Mike leads us before God in prayer as the spritual leader in our relationship.
I began to look forward to that time of prayer together more than anything. It removed the distance between us bringing us together to stand before the throne of God in prayer. God became more than just an honorary member of our relationship but the Cause, Sustainer, Lord, and Fellow-covenanter in our love.
Mike continued this discipline when we were together for two months in Australia. Each evening when we parted ways, Mike led me before the Lord in prayer to bring before Him our hopes, our sin, our love, and our desires.
Knowing that prayer ended our time together deterred a world of sin because we were living our lives before God.
When Mike leads in prayer, I am honored and blessed and respected.
Men, how can you honor the women in your lives?
Women, how can you encourage the men in your life in their spiritual leadership?
(For a fabulous Piper sermon on extending grace, click here.)
11 comments:
It's one thing to say "Uh ... I won't have sex with her till we're married ...?" or "I'll give him a book on how to be an Exemplary Husband".
How will you develop an environment hostile to sin within your relationship?
How will you live out "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works," (Heb. 10:24)?
The mental/spiritual exercise of contemplating how you will practically live out these principles will not only prove invaluable but will be an immense blessing to your mate?
It is SOOOOO important to consider these things BEFORE you enter a relationship, as well.
I agree, men need to lead their women in prayer. Actually, I give all my Christian brothers Dr. Scott's book, "The Exemplary Husband." I remember telling him at one workshop that his book is more on a book of godliness, which is what the Biblical man should exemplify.
On a different note, I noticed your man shops at Target, because that is where I get the same T-shirts.
Dan (T&Z)
That's where he would shop, if he lived here. Which reminds me, I need to make a Target run soon to see if they have any good T-shirts to bring back to Tassie with me.
Hey Christine, thanks - this is a good encouragement. It's exactly what I appreciate about Nick (from the start we were in agreement that our relationship is founded on Christ)
... on a side note, when you were in Tassie, you said that Target here is kinda daggy (which is probably true) But anyway, Target in Sydney is a lot cooler. They just opened one at our local shopping centre and it's pretty swish.
"daggy" and "swish".. wow. I so live in the states. Should we import vocab?
"How will you develop an environment hostile to sin within your relationship?" --Now *THAT* is a question!
I simply say Yes and Amen~
(Not to the Target comments...to the actual post, hehe)
cute photo of you guys ;)
I'm glad the cookies were a success for someone, ;)
since i am a long-time lurker, i thought it was time to say hi!
i play mixed netball with mike. Does America have netball? You'll have to try it when you come to tassie! You'll rule the game - tall people have a huge (pardon the pun) advantage!
anyway, point of posting is to say cheers for all your posts about biblical womanhood and honouring your husbands and encouraging spiritual leadership. it's clear you put a lot of thought in to your posts, and i am always encouraged to find people wanting to explore practical applications of biblical themes. i had always been wary of exploring 'gender differences', thinking that to do so, i'd instantly be oldfashioned. to hear that it's something young women can and SHOULD prayerfully consider was both a shock and a blessing!
i'm so very excited that you'll be living in tasmania when you and mike get married, and i hope the women in hobart will have the opporunity to be blessed by your gifts!
and target in hobart is uncool, but if you manage to sneak in and buy stuff without getting spotted, you can actually find some good pieces ;)
ok, back to my lurkers den
kath
Sorry, Kath, I came to terms many years ago that by choice I'm not going to pursue sport. It could be because other things were a priority or perhaps I'm uncoordinated ... the world will never know.
I'm so excited about moving to Tassie.
I totally get the sneaking into Target ... maybe we'll run into each other there and then blush in shame at having caught each other in the act.
Christine, I was so excited when you mentioned this topic to me the other week. Now that I have read this post, I am even more excited. It is so good for a woman to share ways in which men can bless the women in their lives. As you know, I am not in a relationship, but as you said and we discussed, it is very good to think of these things ahead of time. Preparation is SO important and open communication is SO vital! I love your heart and your honesty and always enjoy conversations with you. I pray that you would never stop sharing in the way that you do!
May the Lord continue to pour out His Spirit upon you!
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