Wives, Wisdom & Worship Part 5
Last week I stated that one thing that I found, which is really neat, is that Wisdom is personified as a “Her”. As if I could translate this text regarding something intangible as “wisdom” with somehting tangible as “my wife”. Therefore, I went back through this verse replacing wisdom with a “her” and that “her” is my wife, “Rachel”. So as we go through these verses the second time around, please change out the name “Rachel” with your wife’s name. Now, this should breed a couple of questions.
1. What if I am a woman? How can I make this tangible to “me”?
2. What if I am not married? How can I make this tangible to “me”?
First, if you are a woman, I would use this text as a benchmark. Ultimately asking yourself, “Am I am woman who upholds this stature?” or “Do I live up to this text?“.
Secondly, if you are not married, I challenge you to either A.) if you are a man, find a woman whom you can do “your part” of this text (Prize, embrace, love etc) and your girlfriend, fiance “Whatever” will live up to her end (i.e. exalt, honor, guard, etc). If your current girlfriend/fiance “whatever” does live up to those standards – then she probably isn’t mature enough to be your wife. The reason I say this, right NOW in your relationship is probably more of a “front” more of a “game”. She may not be showing her true colors. She may be just “content” for now, but who knows what will happen when she gets all that she wanted “Marriage”.
So you don’t think I am picking on women; women, if your boyfriend, fiance “whatever” is not prizing you, embracing you or loving you – then he is NOT worthy of your love. Dump him now and find a man who loves Jesus so much, that He treats you like Jesus treats His church, cultivating a mature church for the glory of God.
With that said, I am writing with the perspective of a husband to think about his spouse, but as noted above please follow the focus that suits you. I challenge you to think of your wives while walking through these verses.
Proverbs 4:5-8
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. (NASB)
Do not forsake Rachel, and Rachel will guard you
This makes perfect sense. If I never leave Rachel and I enjoy my time with her and stick with her. She will guard me. Her “guarding” me is not the “manly”, beat up a car-jacker if he attacks us – kind of guarding – it is her protecting my image when I am not able to. This can be done by not gossiping about me to her girlfriends or when someone bad-mouths me. Now, I haven’t been married for long, but the married couples I do see – where the wife belittles or gossips about her husband – seems to stem from a lack of relationship between the man and his wife. He is either always gone or just not “connected” to his wife. However, if there is a good working relationship between a man and his wife, it would make perfect sense that when someone gossips, or says something about a woman’s husband – she will be more inclined to guard him than think “Yeah my husband can be a jerk” So stick with your wife and she will stick with you and have your back.
Love Rachel, and Rachel will watch over you.
Here if I just love my wife, she will watch over me and help me be the best husband/leader I can be. Afterall, that is why the woman was created to be a helper. It is not good for a man to be alone, as it says in Genesis.
Genesis 2:18 .
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” (NASB)
So we see that God did not originally create us to be alone and to “do everything” by ourselves – but to willfully accept help. Therefore, can you name the kind of person you like to help? Do you like to help someone you respect or despise? I bet you said respect and you probably respect them if they show interest in you and give you “face time” and/or care about you as a person. The same goes for marriage. If you love your wife, she will respect you and when you respect someone you keep a watchful eye on them and you look out for them.
Ephesians 5:33
Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
There is a really good book on this whole love/respect issue in a marriage. I HIGHLY suggest you read this book “Love & Respect” by Eggerichs for more information.
1. What if I am a woman? How can I make this tangible to “me”?
2. What if I am not married? How can I make this tangible to “me”?
First, if you are a woman, I would use this text as a benchmark. Ultimately asking yourself, “Am I am woman who upholds this stature?” or “Do I live up to this text?“.
Secondly, if you are not married, I challenge you to either A.) if you are a man, find a woman whom you can do “your part” of this text (Prize, embrace, love etc) and your girlfriend, fiance “Whatever” will live up to her end (i.e. exalt, honor, guard, etc). If your current girlfriend/fiance “whatever” does live up to those standards – then she probably isn’t mature enough to be your wife. The reason I say this, right NOW in your relationship is probably more of a “front” more of a “game”. She may not be showing her true colors. She may be just “content” for now, but who knows what will happen when she gets all that she wanted “Marriage”.
So you don’t think I am picking on women; women, if your boyfriend, fiance “whatever” is not prizing you, embracing you or loving you – then he is NOT worthy of your love. Dump him now and find a man who loves Jesus so much, that He treats you like Jesus treats His church, cultivating a mature church for the glory of God.
With that said, I am writing with the perspective of a husband to think about his spouse, but as noted above please follow the focus that suits you. I challenge you to think of your wives while walking through these verses.
Proverbs 4:5-8
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. (NASB)
Do not forsake Rachel, and Rachel will guard you
This makes perfect sense. If I never leave Rachel and I enjoy my time with her and stick with her. She will guard me. Her “guarding” me is not the “manly”, beat up a car-jacker if he attacks us – kind of guarding – it is her protecting my image when I am not able to. This can be done by not gossiping about me to her girlfriends or when someone bad-mouths me. Now, I haven’t been married for long, but the married couples I do see – where the wife belittles or gossips about her husband – seems to stem from a lack of relationship between the man and his wife. He is either always gone or just not “connected” to his wife. However, if there is a good working relationship between a man and his wife, it would make perfect sense that when someone gossips, or says something about a woman’s husband – she will be more inclined to guard him than think “Yeah my husband can be a jerk” So stick with your wife and she will stick with you and have your back.
Love Rachel, and Rachel will watch over you.
Here if I just love my wife, she will watch over me and help me be the best husband/leader I can be. Afterall, that is why the woman was created to be a helper. It is not good for a man to be alone, as it says in Genesis.
Genesis 2:18 .
Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” (NASB)
So we see that God did not originally create us to be alone and to “do everything” by ourselves – but to willfully accept help. Therefore, can you name the kind of person you like to help? Do you like to help someone you respect or despise? I bet you said respect and you probably respect them if they show interest in you and give you “face time” and/or care about you as a person. The same goes for marriage. If you love your wife, she will respect you and when you respect someone you keep a watchful eye on them and you look out for them.
Ephesians 5:33
Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
There is a really good book on this whole love/respect issue in a marriage. I HIGHLY suggest you read this book “Love & Respect” by Eggerichs for more information.
