Day 3 of 30 Days of Praise

Today, I'm praising God for how my husband takes care of me financially. Andy works hard. He's the man you want to hire if you want someone who gives 110%! If you want a man of integrity, he's your guy. He's not one who cuts corners or does a half-way job. He's a man worthy of his hire.
And...I took up my friend's challenge last night and told Andy how glad I was that God had put him as head over me and how much I respected his leadership. Now I have to tell you---it was hard to get those words out of my mouth! Did I mean them? Absolutely! But Satan does not want us saying them. He knows how powerful it is---and how much our husbands need that encouragement.

This morning, I read I Peter 3. It has instructions to us wives---I hope it becomes one of your best friends! (By the way, I almost always read the Amplified version of the Bible. Every time I've checked out the Greek or Hebrew meaning of a word, the Amplified is dead-on! So I really love it.) It starts out with "In like manner, you married women be submissive to your own husbands..." In what like manner? Well, you have to back up to I Peter 2:18-24 to get the gist of what he's talking about. In the same like manner that slaves submit to their masters...In the same like manner that Jesus submitted to God...In the same like manner that Jesus suffered...

Whoa! Wait. A. Minute. Who said anything about suffering? Well, if your husband is your head and he doesn't obey the Word (and no one obeys the Word 100%!), you're gonna suffer. I Peter 2:21 even says that we've been called to suffer!! Then this chapter goes on to talk about Sarah. Was her husband a believer? Yes. Did he obey the Word? You're gonna have to check out Genesis 12 & 20 to see the answer to that. The guy GAVE AWAY HIS WIFE TO OTHER MEN! It just doesn't get much worse than that---what a major betrayal! So what is it you're supposed to do if he doesn't obey the Word? Preach it to him? (Trust me, I've tried that and it doesn't work! What's your response when someone tries to tell you what to do? REBELLION!) No. He's going to be won over by the pure respectful behavior of his wife. It WON'T be by one thing you say! It's going to be by how you behave---how you respond to him. So...what should your response be? Read I Peter 3:2, "When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him--to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]."
Reverence, respect, defer to, revere him, honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, adore him, admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love & enjoy your husband! WOW! I can hear some of you now. You might say, "Yeah, but...you don't know my husband. He doesn't think of others. He's a very selfish man. Or...my husband is not a Christian. Or...my husband is a down-right, dirty, rotten jerk!!"
That's all covered in I Peter 3:1. "...if any do not obey the Word..." I don't think this is talking about an abusive relationship. I think it's talking about where most of us live. Most of us have never had this extreme example---but take a look at Sarah. I love Sarah. What was her response when her husband asked her to tell people that she was his sister? (He was being disobedient to the Word---he was lying to protect his own skin!) She obeyed. She told people that she was his sister. (She was his half-sister) She died to her desires--she killed her flesh. And she still respected her husband. Wow! And God moved in miraculously to protect her. I believe Sarah was willing to die---she trusted God that much! We don't have a problem submitting to God, but when we start talking about submitting to a man, most women have a problem. Why is that? Because we trust God! We believe He's looking out for our best interest! We're not sure our men are. But if we really trust God....we should trust the fact that HE established this set-up. HE put man over woman. It's all about obedience, isn't it? And once we obey, I believe the feelings will come.

That's where I am. Trying to kill my flesh---dying to my desires, my self-preservation. Have you ever watched someone physically die? It's HARD! There's a fierce inner desire to live. THEY DON'T WANT TO LET GO! Have you heard me say that before? That's my struggle. To let go. I don't want to die to my desires, to my needs. I don't want to suffer. And I don't want to submit to my husband---I'm not sure he's looking out for my best interest. Where will his dreams take ME? But I want this desperately. I want to be "a good daughter of Sarah" who doesn't give way to hysterical fears. I want to trust God completely. I want to bless my husband. I want God to fulfill all of his dreams. And I know God will look out for me.

Father, thank you for Andy. Thank you that you put him over me as my head. Give me a completely submissive heart. Help me to choose to trust him! Thank you that Andy is a man of integrity and works hard. Thank you for using his work ethic to provide for us. Thank you that You have never failed us---there's always been enough. You're the best, God! I love you so much. Please kill my flesh. I willingly lay my flesh on Your altar as a willing sacrifice. I want to die to myself and live to You. Please fulfill the dreams and visions that You've placed in Andy. Promote him, Father, to where you want him to be. Bless him. In Jesus' name, Amen.

(Wow! This is really long! Blessings if you read to the end!!)