by 
When my wife and I got married, an old family friend gave us each books on our roles in marriage. Her’s was The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace and mine was The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo. One of the things that Priolo does early in his book is to talk about the roles that we have, and specifically what we were created to do.
Godly Wife, you– just like your husband– were created to be a companion and someone that helps your spouse grow. You know the most about him (hopefully!). You should know his weak points, the areas that he needs work, and should be studying to grow in your walk with God.
The famous Psalm 31 passage talks about the Godly Wife using these words in verse 26:
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
So, the question for today is, if your husband is growing spiritually, is it partly because of you (because of the atmosphere you create in the home, because you encourage him to be in the word, because of your testimony of what God’s doing in your life, etc) or in spite of you?
Proverbs 12:4 says this:
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
What are you, Godly Wife? Have you asked him? It may be hard to get a straight answer here, but it is necessary to accomplishing this goal as a husband or as a wife that we talk about who we are to our spouse and ask questions that get them to tell us about themselves. We need to create an environment where our spouse is free to be who they truly are, to reveal the inner heart (the struggles, the temptations, and the joys) instead of always having our guard up.
Question Idea taken from Questions for a Godly Wife
- Godly Wife: Is He Your Master?
- Godly Wife: Who Are You Seeking to Please?
- Godly Wife: Are You His Helper or His Obstacle?
- Godly Wife: Does Your Husband’s Heart Trust in You?
- Godly Wife: How Do You Handle When He is Wrong?
- Godly Wife: How do you Handle Disagreements?
- Godly Wife: How Do You Receive Correction?
- Godly Wife: Are You Drawing Him to You with Your Speech?
- Godly Wife: How Does Your Husband Grow?
- Godly Wife: Who Trains the Children?
- Godly Wife: How Do You Make Your Husband Feel?
- Godly Wife: Are You Intimately Available?
- Godly Wife: Do You Speak To Your Husband with Flattering Words?
- Godly Wife: Are You Helping Your Husband to Greater Heights?
- Godly Wife: Are You Keeping Your Wedding Vows?
- Godly Wife: Are You Openly Appreciative of Your Husband?
- Godly Wife: Do You Dominate Your Husband?
- Godly Wife: Have You Cut the Cord?
What can I say to such a deep and wise text?
Amen!
As to your last paragraph, when we do this, we’re usually up all night talking! Does that mean we don’t do it often enough? ;O)
Thanks again for getting this series out to us!
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of “he’s the spiritual leader, so he should have it all together and be the encourager for me”. Which if you look at it is the height of selfishness. I have been thinking about this in line with Col. 3. The first part of the chapter is talking about the unity and love that we have in the body and how we live as renewed people. Then it flows right into “Wives, be subject.” I always took it as a stopping of one idea and the starting of another, but it flows so beautifully. Only if we are living as redeemed people realizing that we are all equal at the foot of the cross and treating one another as we should as co-heir of glory can we rightfully carry out all those admonitions at the end of the chapter. So this would include what you are talking about, lovingly pointing one another to Christ and growing in Him. No matter if you are the husband or the wife.