Proverbs 3:15-18
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
A smart woman gave me the advice to "give it 24 hours." Whatever it is that eats at you or stresses you...give it 24 hours before responding. Response out of anger is my go-to and always has been. I might be right. I might make a point. However, that's not always what God wants me to do.
This reminds me of my absolute favorite chapter in the Bible: Esther.
A very condensed version of that story is that Esther was orphaned, raised by a male cousin who was a devout man of God. God worked every single thing out so that she was in the right place at the right time to save His people from destruction. Read that again. SHE was in the right place and the right time and, through God, SHE was able to save her people.
When she was faced with the call to action, she didn't run in and demand change. She prayed. She asked her people to pray. She fasted. She waited for God's response. When it came, she entered into her call to action with confidence and humility. She got the job done. She saved her people.
One woman was able to SAVE HER PEOPLE. Guess what. She's wasn't the only woman to do God's work and save her people. Sarah told Abraham to remove Ishmael from their presence. This was God led. It saved Isaac's life who was the beginning of the lineage to Christ. This steadfastness came after years of heartache and suffering and longing for a child. Waiting..
Mary agree to be Jesus' mother. She followed God's plan for her life which included giving birth to the savior of mankind (which is kind of a big deal).
All of these women were patient. All of them held strong in their faith (sometimes stronger than their husbands)...and Esther even had an unbeliever as her husband. Their salvation and their faith and their perseverance didn't rely on their husbands, but how much easier could life be if their husbands were where they needed to be, too?
But patience...patience got them where they needed to be and got them to the point that they were able to support their husbands even when they were wrong, urging them in the right direction and coaxing them closer to God. That's strength.
My daughters have come home telling me how some kids they know question the validity of the Bible based on (what they see as) the fact that it was written by men who just wanted to hold women back and keep them submissive. When you read the Bible as a Christian woman, you see the empowerment that the Bible gives women. All the verses about that ugly word "submit" are surrounded by verses of love and reverence. Honey, I have yet to completely submit to my husband, but I pray every day that our marriage gets to the point that I can. Bottom line, I'd love nothing more than submit to Noah. When that day comes, I know we are both on the way to Heaven.
Being a woman in the Bible meant there was great responsibility. God loves women. He knows how important our jobs (especially within our families) are. Mommas, if you have a daughter at home, start teaching them scripture and the love of Christ. You won't be sorry. God can do so much for their confidence and their spiritual well-being, that you'll wish you'd done it sooner.
The best way to teach your daughters is to lead by example. That 24 hour rule is a great one because you're teaching them to go to God for everything before they do anything. In 24 hours, God was able to turn nothing into something....imagine what He can do in your life if you just wait 24 hours.
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