I was reading some different articles and a thought
struck me: how will I be remembered? And then I was
mulling over some more aspects of this— I don’t know
what first sparked line of thinking, but it’s led me to
reflect on the life of a precious sister in the LORD who
has dedicated her life to her husband and family – most
notably and obviously in the recent years of her
husband’s complete physical disability. Then, the other
day when our son drove off to school I was standing on
the porch wondering what I’d ever done for him and if
I’d remembered to tell him this thing or teach him that
thing; I couldn’t, at that time, recall a significant
thing I’d done to help him---everything seemed so
incomplete. And then, my husband had some appointments
and some things to do and I wondered am I doing all I
can for him––am I truly a help meet, or fitted, for
him? Then I had to decide to move on from all this
wallowing and reflection and get busy. I needed to look
well to the ways of my household for the idle hands
weren’t helping the mind to “think on these things” of
the Word. I continued to mull over the thoughts and
sift them through Scripture as I worked.
She was a faithful Christian wife.
I looked up that phrase through a Google search and you
know what came up? Yes, hundreds of links – links to
obituaries. You know the sort that start out something
like, “We’ll never forget, Dorothy (or insert your own
name here), as she was such a good woman –a good mother
and she was… She was a faithful Christian wife. So
that’s the eulogy, that’s the obituary, but what about
the life? What was it or what did she do to demonstrate
that or warrant that tribute and those accolades?
That description, “She was a faithful Christian wife,”
is full of significance as each of the words carry a
very important meaning and charge.
Faithful, Christian, Wife
and,
Was. She
was. That means that at another time she might well
have been talked about or introduced: she IS a faithful
Christian wife. Not just she
is a
wife, or she
is a Christian,
or she is faithful,
but: she IS a faithful…Christian…wife.
O, to be today: a faithful Christian wife.
What does the Word say to us wives about the
faithfulness of a faithful wife. Let’s think about a
few verses and the deep importance and significance of
faithfulness and what it looks like.
One of the significant measures is how her husband sees
her or what he thinks of her:
“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her…”
–Proverbs 31.11
And what does she do to earn that trust?
“She will do him good and not evil all the days of her
life.”
–Proverbs 31.12
This sort of “doing him good” comes from faith and we
know that faith is a gift of God. This woman isn’t
faithful because her husband loves her, he loves her
because she is faithful. She’s not remembered as a
faithful wife because she told others she was faithful,
she’s remembered as being faithful because her life
demonstrated faith-a faith that was visible-a faith
other could see. She’s remembered as a wife with that
description: faithful, because she was seen as both
loyal to God and loyal to her husband. Otherwise she
just might have been remembered as a nice woman, a hard
worker, a good cook, etc., etc. But something about her
–her character, her behaviour and her dedication to her
husband influenced that description: “a faithful
Christian wife.”
That must mean that there’s much more to her life than
simply what her husband thinks of, or thought of, her…
What do others see in her or about her? Her words and
behaviour tell a lot about what she thinks of her
husband… this is what others see. When a woman looks
well to the ways of her household, we needn’t look far
to see the qualities that are demonstrated in the life
and work of a “faithful Christian wife.” From the
Proverbs we learn important homekeeping guidelines and
it’s where we can glean some gems… gems of great value:
far above rubies — qualities of bringing, giving,
extending, reaching, seeking, making, rising up, looking
well, etc. It may be that we didn’t receive or follow
training in our childhood or schooling—many of us didn’t
have models of true homemaking—but
we see the loving LORD has provided us examples of what
we need, what we can learn to do and what we can strive
to accomplish in the life we have today. Above all, we
see the imperative of faith and fear of the LORD. We
see that this “faithful Christian wife” is looking well
to the ways of her household— she doesn’t give into
dread and anxiety. She’s been working diligently to
know the ways of her home and has looked around, behind
and ahead for what is needed for her home and family…
and in doing so, the sweet result is that the heart of
her husband safely trusts in her.
Strength and honour are her clothing;
and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31.25
That’s the kind of woman who is eulogized as a faithful
Christian wife. Those words are the fruit of her hands…
and she’s praised in the gates.
How will you be remembered?
