Friends, what have we become? Overwhelmed. Worrisome. Riddled with anxiety. I had thoughts of becoming an excellent wife as a young girl. Like the descriptions in the Bible. A wife who is regarded as “more precious than jewels” and praised by her husband, who is strong, smart, generous, skilled, dignified, wise, kind, full of hope, without fear of the future, and without worry. This describes the women of long ago. These are the women we are supposed to emulate. What happened? How did we veer so far off course?
As I watch my child at work, masterfully creating and artfully building as he snaps one LEGO piece together with another, I can’t help but wonder what he’s creating and how it will be used. It usually ends up being a home for one of his many little people or some form of interesting transportation vehicle equipped with all sorts of gadgets perfectly suited for a specific intended mission.
I find myself often wondering at my intended use and mission. What is my purpose? Why was I created? Amidst a myriad of worldly reasons, the roll of women has been battled and argued, seemingly won at times, only to find more confusion and frustration arise from within the human ranks as history speeds on. To obtain a correct view of our purpose we must take several large steps back and ask ourselves Who created us and what was the Creator’s intentions.
You would probably find it comical, if not outright frightening, if your child’s LEGO creation stood up and boldly proclaimed its autonomy with an inherent right to decide for itself its purpose. I can almost hear what my child’s respond would be as he corrects his creation and decides to change mid-play its intended use, or chooses to smash it to pieces in order to build it up as something wholly different.
Why is this any different with the Almighty Creator of the universe in regard to us? Just because we have will, conscience, and seeming autonomy, the fact of the matter is, we have a purpose that was already determined. All we need to do is understand two specific intentions as put forth by our Creator.
Our vertical response.
Our horizontal response.
Our vertical response is how we were created in light of our relationship vertically, up to God. Our horizontal response is how we were created in light of our relationships horizontally, out to others. The simple answer is usually the most easy to understand, is often the most practical, and usually the hardest to follow. Are you ready?
You are intended to WORSHIP God.
You are intended to HELP other humans.
This book is intended to help you understand your roll as a woman in a frustrating and often confused world. It’s also your calling. You are intended to help. Not everyone all the time, but specific people for specific seasons. As an individual, your job is to bring glory to God. As a wife, your roll is to be a helper to your husband. As a mother, your job is to help raise your children. As an adult daughter, your job is to help and honor your aging parents. As a friend, your job is to help carry your friends burdens.
Are you overwhelmed yet by that long list? Being a helper is a lot of work. My goal is to try to help you become the best at giving glory and worship to God first and knowing exactly how to be the best helper to others in your life without completely overwhelming yourself. I want you to know when it’s time to say yes and time to say no. I want you to know that every need that people present to you is not always a calling from God. I want you to know that it is OK and necessary to keep a lot of white space on your calendar rather than filling it up with things that may not matter 100 years from now.
Are you ready to find out God’s foundational plan for you? Are you ready to be full of purpose, passion, and peace? Are you ready to stop caring about what the world thinks your purpose should be and focus on God’s perfect plan? Are you ready to rest in that gorgeous plan that is already spelled out for you in the Bible?
I pray that this blog will help you to lean more fully on the Holy Spirit, follow more fervently Jesus’ example, and rest more abundantly in God’s plan.
An Excellent Wife 