“Be Worthy of Me”
How God Uses the Weaknesses of Others to Help Us Grow
What if your husband’s faults are God’s tools to shape you? (37)
This should be the goal of every husband and wife – a man aspiring to be “worthy” of his wife, and a wife aspiring to be “worthy” of her husband. (38)
1 Timothy 4:15, 16
Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
You see when you grow in character, when you sink your spiritual roots deep, when you learn to hear God’s voice and build your mind with his wisdom, when you allow his Holy Spirit to transform your character and reshape you heart – then you can make your husband fall in love with you over and over again, and he’ll be all the more motivated to maintain your respect and affection. Nothing compares to being married to a godly woman – nothing. (39)
The reason it’s so important for you to concentrate on your own growth is so that you can avoid the sin of pride, which constantly tempts us to focus on changing our spouses while neglecting our own weaknesses. (39)
Luke 6:41-42
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
When you demand that someone change for your sake, you’re literally trying to bend the world around your comfort, your needs, and your happiness. That’s pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness – and God will never bless that. (41)
3 comments:
'Stine, I think the appeal of those, "How to get your man to shape up" books is that they seem so simple. You do A, you get B. Women have been advocating various interpretations of this method basically forever. Mrs. Smythe told brides to nag, hound, and belittle their husbands so they could avoid sexual intimacy at all costs. That's a bad example, but it goes to the heart of how we wish the world worked -- I say this or that, and your behavior falls in line. I mean, it's that stupid book, "The Secret!"
This way, the godly way, is much more difficult. We have less immediate result in a relationship, but greater fruit throughout the years.
My guess is that some women will "try" this book for a few weeks and then give up and go back to "How to get your man to shape up." But not you, right? ;)
I thought the same, Laura, that most women would view it as another method book and give up when it got difficult and go back to nagging and giving as bad as they get.
My question is, if it hasn't worked in the past, what makes you think it's going to work in the future?
A soft answer turns away wrath ...
Haha! My parents made up a song about Proverbs 15:1 that my brother and I had to sing when we started blaming each other for whatever fight we were in at the moment. Picture a very grumpy 9-year-old and an equally grumpy 11-year-old singing, "A gen-tull an-sur turnzaway wrath, but a haaarsh wooord stirs up ayn-gur!"
Mom: AGAIN!
Kids: Awwwww!
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