Strength and Dignity are Her Clothing

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25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:25-26

 

“Strength and dignity are her clothing” is making me think this morning.  Does God want us to be careful who we show our weaknesses to?  Maybe transparency isn’t wise when we are surrounded by enemies.  Maybe we need to earn respect before people will be willing to listen to how God is working on our weaknesses.  A husband doesn’t want a wife who goes around showing her weakness, even if it makes God’s power shine.  The verse says strength and dignity are her clothing.  Maybe it is in God’s best interest if we are private with our hurts.  I think this might be in our husbands’ best interest also, therefore; the most loving thing to do for both God and husband is to dress with both strength and dignity and carefully share with a chosen few.

 

This seems to conflict with the idea of shouting from the rooftops the good work that Christ has done in me.  How can we show God’s good work without showing our weakness?  Is this an area where we must put our husbands above our ministry?  Is this what it means to be a wife?

 

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Loving With A Whole Heart

“Husbands and wives, recognize that in marriage you have become one flesh. If you live for your private pleasure at the expense of your spouse, you are living against yourself and destroying your joy. But if you devote yourself with all your heart to the holy joy of your spouse, you will also be living for your joy and making a marriage after the image of Christ and His church.”

John Piper

(Stole this quote away from Our First Year Married blog, hope they don’t mind but it really speaks to me)

I think John Piper has a book on marriage, I should really read it,  it is weird taking marriage advice from an old guy; but I like everything else he has written quite a bit.  Found this great resource from him about marriage, I think I’ll start reading those too.  He goes right to the heart of issues.

“If you live for your private pleasure at the expense of your spouse” is pretty convicting.  My husband is studying so hard in the evenings and I really don’t know what to do with myself.  Should I be learning a new skill,  or making our home sparkle every night, should I be practicing piano?  Instead, I’m on the computer, reading blogs, learning about the world, meeting new people and writing blogs.  Spending way too much time on the computer, very selfish….fun, but selfish.  I don’t think this blogging thing is bad, I just think I’m way overdoing it (it seems kind of addicting, especially when you are stuck in the house with no adult conversation and sick children)

It’s interesting that the very thing that I’m doing for short term joy might actually be destroying my overall joy.  I’ve been wanting to limit myself more, but I don’t seem to have the willpower, the small doses of dopamine that I receive seem stronger than my willpower.  God, I’m going to need your help with this one.

Another thing that is bothering me, is that I seem to be half-hearted about life.  I remember the old testament talking about some of the kings and it said that David had a whole heart for God, but Solomon only had a half-heart for him.  His mind and love were also shared by something else (I think it was his many wives)  Well, my heart has been half in this internet/blogging world and half with my real family and husband.  It’s kind of obvious which should be more important, I feel guilty thinking about blogs or comments when I should be focusing on my children.  My mind has been wandering too much instead of living in the moment.  I don’t like where I’m headed, it is sort of a detached from reality kind of perspective.  I want to love wholly, with my whole heart.   I want my mind and heart to be focused on the God and the people who are truly important to me.

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• This Momentary Marriage by John Piper (free ebook) (compasschurchamman.wordpress.com)
• Wise Advice From John Piper On Helping Others Discover An Idol of the Heart (notsoprivatemusings.wordpress.com)
• A Christian Marriage (ptl2010.com)
• Marriage (contemplationsofahousewife.wordpress.com)