A faithful and godly wife

A few weeks ago I shared some thoughts from Gary and Betsy Ricucci's book on how husbands ought to love their wives.

Now it is the ladies turn. In one chapter, this couple gives trustworthy biblical teaching about how wives can fulfill their God-given calling in marriage. They don't offer an exhaustive list, but their thoughts will make you think and if implemented will be highly effective in helping you be a godly wife.

God gives three basic commands to wives in Titus 2:3-5. Wives must love, respect and submit to their husbands.

A wife can cultivate love toward her husband by. . .

• Pray for him and with him
• Learn to understand him
• Communicate in ways that serve him
• Demonstrate physical affection to him
• Enjoy shared activities with him.

A wife should demonstrate and cultivate respect for her husband (Ephesians 5:33b) in her thoughts, words, and actions. To test the level of respect for your husband, you might ask:

• Am I more aware of my husband's deficiencies or his strengths?
• Am I more inclined to criticize my husband (whether verbally or in my heart) or to commend him?
• Have I failed to express respect for my husband because I'm so concerned about a particular area of sin in his life?
• Have I ever thought, If I encourage him in one area, will he think I'm condoning everything else he does that's wrong?

Respecting your husband begins with the right thoughts. This is one way that a wise woman builds her house well. So a wife should evaluate her thoughts as follows:

• What thoughts spring to my mind when I think of my husband?
• Do these thoughts honor my husband?
  

Wives should seek to commend and encourage their husbands with respectful words--at all times. A wife should ask herself:

• How do I speak to my husband when we are alone?
• How do I speak to him in public?
• How do I speak of him to others?

Respectful actions speak volumes as to how you view your husband. So you may ask:

• Do I show respect to my husband through my actions? How so?
• Do I freely display affection for him through appropriate contact (depending on the circumstances)?
• Do I listen intently to him when he is speaking, whether in public or private?
• Do my deeds communicate a lack of respect, inattentiveness or even indifference. . . like interrupting him, looking elsewhere when he's talking, or forgetting to get to things he asked me to do?
  

There is much more practical help in this chapter, so you might want to get this book and read it as a couple. [Hey, what a great read for February and with Valentine's Day around the corner]

The goal of every wife should be to be an "excellent wife" who is "the crown to her husband" (Proverbs 12:4a). This is "a woman who endeavors by God's grace to give her utmost to the great call of being a faithful and godly wife--and God gives grace where he intends to reveal grace."