27 August 2009

Pouring my life into pleasing my husband!

Yesterday I went to the dentist. Our dentist is on the other side of the peninsula. A 30km drive, through national roads that are under construction for the 2010's soccer World Cup event, through Cape Town’s narrow streets and over the mountain. My dear husband gave up half of his day in his health shop to drive me through. At the dentist he sat at my feet and every time the dentist warned me of a procedure that could be uncomfortable or painful, he would put his hand on my ankle to let me know he was there for me and to encourage me.

I needed a few repairs on both sides of my mouth and really felt terrible afterwards. I was even more thankful that he had driven me, since I could not imagine driving myself all the way back. On our way back he took me for a coffee and although I could hardly taste the coffee, it was such a special time with my caring husband.

In the evening he put me to bed early, gave me some anti-oxidants to help my body recover from all the chemicals I was unfortunately exposed to and made sure I was comfortable.

Christo is truly my other half, chosen by God to protect me, care for me, guide me and provide for me. I appreciate him so much and praise and thank the Lord for this wonderful husband of mine.

But that wasn’t always my attitude towards my husband. It was only after I had learned to be a submissive wife who organized her life by his priorities, that I could be a content woman. I had a real breakthrough as a wife after realizing I am God’s perfect gift to my husband. I was created to make my husband happy and blessed, to serve him to the best of my ability, to make him complete and be his helper. After I had realized it is God’s perfect will for me, I could stop fighting the resentment to serve him, and let it come naturally. After all, God created me as a very special woman, perfectly suited to be my husband’s helper. All my talents and gifts, my unique personality, even my physical appearance, were part of being created especially to please my husband – it is my divine calling.

I once read a verse in 1 Peter 3:7 that gave me a completely new view of the togetherness of my husband and I. “…being heirs together of the grace of life.” In our modern culture, we women push to accomplish so much outside the home. Most of these things are not of God. We need to lay aside activities outside the home that push us and the kids to the edge of exhaustion and confusion. God’s will for me and Christo is to walk life’s path hand in hand. He doesn’t want us to run circles around each other, seldom meeting each other in the middle.

When I get off the phone, throw out the TV, stay off the web, reduce outside visits or women’s meetings and focus on putting my time into what my husband is doing and what my children need, I can better meet his needs and it is the beginning of learning to be an heir together with him of the grace of life!

Men long to be the most important activity in their wife’s life. My husband needs me with him, to be his help meet, his lover, his best friend. He needs to know HE is my king! I need to lay down my own agenda and become his Queen!

Becoming heirs together starts with me, because I am the weaker vessel and have the greatest need. It is my ‘visible’ need of him that awakens him. I’ve noticed that as I pour my life into pleasing my husband and serving him, he develops a protective, nurturing instinct towards me. As he gains confidence that his heart is safe with me and that I place his welfare first, he begins to trust me with his innermost being.

As I bonded with Christo, I gained his strength and stability. As a couple, we can now accomplish more than we would ever accomplish standing alone. He gives me emotional strength to deal with the issues of life, while he can trust my judgements and become wiser and more in tune with the needs of others. I know my husband only needs me to pour my life into his, for him to pour his soul back into mine. And our inheritance: great passion, stability, wisdom, joy, love and balance.

Will you pour your life into pleasing and serving your husband? What do you have to lose? You can only win!

4 comments:

Sonja said...

Linnie,dit is waarlik wyse woorde! Ek stem heeltemal saam met jou! Wanneer man en vrou gelukkig en vervuld getroud is en goeie vriende ook is wat mekaar lief het en dra, dan baat die kinders ook daarby! So n huis het n stewige fondasie met God as die middelpunt!
Ek wil jou ook my goeie nuus vir die dag gee!
Ewan se woordeskat en sinskonstruksie verbeter steeds. Vandag was nog n deurbraak! Gewoonlik AS hy in n sinnetjie iets se is dit vir n koekie of sappies. Vandag wat dit anders.HY het gebewe van die koue, en ek kon sien hy kry koud nadat hy geslaap het, en uit die bloute toe se hy: Ek kry koud. Dit was die eerste keer dat hy iets oor homself gese het, wat se hoe hy voel! Hy het nog bietjie griep, maar word nou mooi gesond,maar ek kan sien die Sevenpointfive aanvullings maak n verskil. As hy eers mooi gesond is,dink ek ons sal n groter verbetering sien! Ek gaan more sy nuwe aanvullings haal.Hoop dit gaan goed met julle!

Linnie said...

Sonja, ek is so bly saam met jou oor Ewan se vordering! Dit maak my hart sommer so warm en dankbaar dat die Vader so iets soos Sevenpointfive kan gebruik om 'n verskil te maak. Jy doen soveel moeite om daardie seuntjie van jou te stimuleer, die Vader sal dit beloon! Ons hou aan met bid vir Ewan en jou hele gesin.
Lekker naweek hou!

AutumnVine said...

Linnie, baie dankie vir hierdie woorde, soos balsem vir my siel is hulle. Ek het nodig om dit te hoor (te lees) en weer en weer. Ek het na ons trek weer 1 van my 2 baie waardevolle Above Rubies ontdek nr 67 (gekry by Merinda Nagel). Ons is sendelinge en my man werk nou by Scripture Union. Ek kan nadat ek 1 1/2 jaar gewerk het weer by die huis wees. En ek weet dis waar ek hoort, by my twee seuns (5) en (1) jaar oud. EK sou graag meer oor hierdie belangrike sake wou lees om my 'n beter vrou en ma te maak vir al die manne in my lewe.

Linnie said...

Liewe Mede-Vrou-en-Mamma, jy kan gerus inteken op Above Rubies - 'n gratis tydskrif. www.aboverubies.co.za
Dit is so 'n bemoedigende tydskrif vir vroue, met waarhede wat maar op min ander plekke gehoor word. Oor die afgelope 6 jaar, vandat ek my Above Rubies tydskrif ontvang, ervaar hoe God my meer en meer die bruid maak wat Hy wil kom haal.
Liefdegroete

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