Ten Years of Guarding Our Homes
Only a few posts left in our Ten Year Blog Anniversary! We pray the first ten posts from our start in 2009 have been a blessing.
Matthew 12:25 - "And knowing their thoughts, He said to them, Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to stand."
I have been reminded and am firmly convinced that now, more than ever, Christian women must guard their homes. For most of us our minds automatically go to protecting our children, but it is our marriages to which I have been so intensely led to hedge in with the blood of Jesus.
Our husbands are being ferociously attacked in every area of their lives, and they need their "helpmates" to rise up and walk in obedience to God's instructions for wives as never before. It doesn't matter how you refer to your husband as your best friend, partner, the king of your home, your knight in shining armor, the high priest of your home, or simply as honey. Dear sisters, the man in your life needs you to notice and regard him, to honor him, to prefer him, venerate and esteem him. Even though he may be completely unaware of it, it is essential that you defer to him, praise him, love and admire him---exceedingly. (Eph. 5:33)
This is not the season for wives to behave as divas or princesses in our homes. There is a fierce battle raging against godly homes, and we must learn how to wage a good fight of faith. We must read, learn, and apply the Word of God to our lives in every single situation and circumstance, every single day. The days of passive obedience are over. This is a NOW time that we are living in, and we must be NOW women of God in our households.
No longer will it work for us to go about our days thinking only of ourselves and our own needs. As women of the Most High God, we are at a crossroads of obedience in our marriages. We have a decision to make. A path must be chosen. Which one will we take? Will we stay where we are following the trends of popular society (this could be a church society) or will we deliberately, consciously choose to put on the armor God has provided(Eph. 6) and make a stand for righteousness within our homes?
It's up to us ladies. What is going to happen to the home that God has placed you in? What is happening to it right now? Is it being brought to desolation or will it continue to stand? You decide. You determine each and every day, probably many times each day whether to fortify and build up your house or whether to bring it low and destroy it. "Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands." Proverbs 14:1
While going throughout our days, let us ask ourselves these questions. Will getting my way in this situation bring honor and glory to God my Father? Is this going to bring me closer to Christ? Will I become sweeter, gentler, quieter in spirit, or more godly if I get my own way? Am I in line with the Word of God on this matter? What does God say about this in His Word? Am I honoring, preferring, venerating, or esteeming my husband in this matter? Does this show the man that I have covenanted with praise, love and admiration---exceedingly? Why am I so set on getting my own way? Could God take care of this for me? Would it be possible for me to allow God to be the perfect husband and lover that He is and let Him do this for me? Another basic question that is also a good check is "Is this really necessary or do I just want it?"
Much has been left unsaid on this subject. Please allow God the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you as you walk in the home He has placed you in. Be brave, take that first step of faith in obedience and watch what God will do in your home. Just make sure and certain that you have on the armor God has provided. The enemy of your home is going to attack. That is a definite. You may be asking yourself why. Why is the home under so much attack? The answer is profoundly simple. Because marriage and the home are the earthly example of Christ and His bride, the church. If the world can see examples of Jesus and the church walking in the Love of God all around them, then they will know the truth of God's neverending, longsuffering Love for His people. Once the truth has been seen, the unsaved will desire to experience it for themselves. The enemy can't afford to have that happen. Therefore, he must destroy this example.
We sometimes forget that our marriages aren't all about us. There is so much to do, so much to take care of, that we loose focus of what God says. Today, ladies, let's rise up, stand tall, line our lives, our thoughts, our feelings and opinions up with the truth of God's Word, and build up our homes. Let us walk with the wisdom God liberally gives. (James 1:5)
In future posts we will talk about not only building up our husbands and homes, but waging an attack of our own against the enemy. Today, however, we are going to focus on hedging our husbands in with the blood of Jesus to protect him as well as obeying the Word of God and treating our husbands as God has instructed us to. Let's go forth in the name of the Lord of Hosts and enjoy the harvest of obedience in our homes.
* Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures are taken from the Amplified Bible