A God That Never Changes

Fall is here!  Changes are everywhere.  The temperature has changed, the leaves are changing, the smells have changed from coconuts and flowers to pumpkins, apples, and hot cocoa.  I love, love, love this wonderful season of change.  I get so excited about the drive to and from our home, because of all of the beautiful mountains surrounding us.  I love the freshness in the air on cool fall mornings.  I love all of the bonfires and weenie roasts with family and friends.  I just adore fall, and all that it beholds.  I was thinking about all of the newness of the season that we will soon be experiencing, and began dwelling on how God has blessed us.  But how that the biggest blessing of all is that, in spite of the fact that we all have a motto at some point in our life that “change is good,” that God never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  Hallelujah for that!

If God varied like we do – if He willed one thing today and then another thing tomorrow- if He were controlled by impulse- who could confide in Him?  If God were to change, it would be the worse possible new imaginable.  HE could not be trusted.  My life would be spent in fear that God would rescind n His gift of salvation at any time.  We would not be able to have rest in a changing God, no confidence in Him whatsoever. 

But praise to His wonderful name that He is ever the same.  His will is stable, His purpose is fixed, His word is sure.  The permanence of Gods character guarantees us the fulfillment of His promises. 

As humans, our lives are constantly changing.  We cannot rely on our nature or our own will to remain stable.  But we can find confidence and rest in God.  One thing that sets us apart from Him, is that He never ever changes.  He is the same God today that was so faithful to Abraham when he was lead to an unknown place.  The same God that lead Joseph thru such harsh circumstances.  The same God that lead Hannah thru so many tears.  The same God that faithfully lead David to a new life beyond his sin and failure.  The same God that delivered the three Hebrew boys that were so faithful to Him.  The same God that rose Lazarus from the dead.  The same God that had mercy on the widow of Nain.  The same God that healed the woman with the issue of blood.  The same God that provided shoes for 40 years for the children of Israel.  The same God that sent a raven  to feed Elijah.  Surely, you can relate to one of these persons that God was so, so merciful to.  We do NOT have a problem that is too big for our God to handle.

Praise be to God for His unchanging Word, His unchanging love to us, His unchanging supply of grace, His unchanging ability to care for His own!

Some verses  that remind us that God never changes

“For I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”  Mal 3:6

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  Heb 13:8

“Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in Heaven.”  Psalm 119:89

Some of Gods promises that are just as sure today as they were when they were pinned down

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  Heb 13:5

“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.”  Phi 4:19

“Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Fathers house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”  John 14:1-3

Happy fall to you all!

Be Still

If someone asked you how busy you were these days, what would your response be?  I know what mine would be, “Are you kidding me?”  Not to be sarcastic, but seriously, who isn’t?  With peoples work, family, kids, and church ministries, it is a hurried kind of life, right?  I will be the first one to admit guilt here, but it shouldn’t be this way.  Lately, I have been sooo guilty of letting the daily events of life overflow into my Bible study time and prayer time.

The Word tells us that these scriptures should be our guidelines for living.

“Be still and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

We must find quiet time with God.  It is essential to our physical and spiritual well being.  Jesus told us to occupy until He comes.  He meant for us to be about our Fathers business, which is winning souls for the kingdom of God.  How can we diligently work for the Lord without taking time to minister to Him?  We need to rest and get a “second wind” at some point.  There is no better way to get that wind, than from the Word of God, or from communion with the Father.  The Bible says in Psalm 63 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:  my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.”  And theres no doubt in my mind that He will quench that thirst if we will just allow Him to.  Also, in Proverbs 25:25, the Bible says “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”  The Bible is good news from Heaven.  If we will meditate in His word we will be quenched just as His word promises.  Once we take time to rest in Gods word, that is when we will be able to carry on about the Fathers business.  How many of us know lay-men and lay-women as well as pastors that have burned out simply because they did not take the time to rest?

I think that it is time to take some timeouts in our busy lives, so that we can focus on God.  I know that the Lord has been speaking to me recently about taking a break so that He and I can talk.  And I don’t mean sitting down on God, but not letting a good intention of helping others get in the way of our relationship with Him.  Again, how can I help anyone if Ive not spent much time with God, and how much more can I help others if I do spend more time with Him.  For example,  Acts 4:13 says “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”  When we have been with Jesus, it is recognizable.  The Holy Spirit within us brings a comforting presence to those around us.  Our smile is seen as not just  an ordinary smile, but one that releases joy.  Compassion flows through us and people can tell that we have been with Jesus. When people can tell that we have been with Jesus, that is when our ministry can begin. 

I know we all want to be productive, and we don’t want to deliberately abuse the temple of the Lord.  We should understand that our bodies do not function well without rest or under too much stress.  Constantly staying busy and forsaking our alone time with God will cause us to be ill and dull our senses to the voice of the Father.  We need to always be at a place where we can hear the gentle voice of the Lord when he calls to us saying, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Bearing a Burden

Just recently my husband and I were talking to a Christian couple that was upset over wayward family members.  Family members that had recently professed that they accepted Christ, but they are now missing church.  These new converts are young and have never been in church, and do not “know how to act.”  While I agree that them being out of church is wrong in all kinds of ways, I do not agree with the statement that the wife made.  She said, “I’ve told them what they need to do, so they’re not my problem anymore.”   That statement sent cold chills down my back.  I know that it can get very frustrating when dealing with wayward family and friends.  I completely understand that!!!  However, if we as Christians don’t show them some longsuffering, love, and faithfulness, who will?  I promise you they are not going to learn how to be a Christian or how to live a life that is pleasing to God, out in the world.

 I don’t believe that this is just a matter of opinion.  I don’t think that only those who are patient should keep witnessing to the wayward.  It is an order from God that we all carry this burden.  A person, group, committee, church, or community without a burden for the lost and wayward, is at a standstill.  To be right with God, we must have a burden for them.

 Too often, we mistake what Matt 11:28-30 has to say.  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  This never says that there will be no burden.  This simply says that the burden will be lighter.  When we share a burden with God, it will be lighter on our end.  But, we must have a burden.

Lets look at a burden…..

First, there must be a Connection to the Burden.   1. We must realize the burden.  We must acknowledge that we have family, friends, and a community that are lost and on their way to hell.  We must also realize that our fellow “fallen” Christians need help.  IT is after all just the grace of God that we are not where they are.   2.  We must receive the burden.  Just acknowledging that someone has messed up is not enough.  We must be willing to sacrifice our time, meals, and pleasures so that we can pray for these individuals.  3.  We must relay the burden.  A burden is not really a burden at all to us if it is not passed on to our children.  I don’t mean that we should pass financial and marital burdens on to our children. I mean that our children should be burdened for the lost and wayward, because they’ve seen us be burdened for them.

Next, there are certain Characteristics of a Burden.   1.  Burdens are troubling.  Exodus 1:11 says “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.”  Burdens are not easy to live with sometimes.  They are troubling to our hearts, our heads, and our habits.  A burden can and will make you do (what the world will view as peculiar) things.  2.  Burdens are testing.  They will test our devotion.  God sometimes wants to know that we are serious about something.  They will test our devotion to the sinner, to the saint, and to our Savior.

Last, lets look at the Comfort of a Burden.  You might ask, how in the world do you find comfort in a burden.  1.  A burden is comforting because of its rareness.  When we truly carry a burden, there is something different about us.  There is also something different about our communion with the Lord during these times.  2.  A burden is comforting because of its reward.  I Peter 5:7 says “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  God truly does care about our cares.  He loves us and wants the best for us and for those that we love.  There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that you are in the perfect will of God, and that is just where a true, honest, sincere burden will land us more times than not.  It is also comforting in that a sincere burden will not go unnoticed by God.  He still has the power to convict and convert sinners, and He promised that its not His will that any should perish.   So that leads me to believe that if we will carry the burden of their souls eternity, God will save them.

Maybe knowing and understanding a little more about a burden, will help us to be burdened about our lost and backslidden loved ones.   We are the only ones that are ever going to develop a burden for them.  The world does not care about their souls.  It IS up to us to be burdened about our loved ones and their standings with God.   If we truly believe in hell, like we say that we do, we will bear these burdens with a gladness.  What is one or two meals, or one or two hours more in prayer, if it means that a loved ones soul misses an eternity in hell?

Thank You For Being A Friend

I need friends in my life. I don’t just mean friends who make me laugh or smile, but friends who love me enough to share what God is doing in their lives and who are willing to share correction with me. I need friends who will help me grow to be more like Christ. I was reminded of this a couple weeks ago over a cup of coffee.
I asked my friend how I could be praying for her and what God had been teaching her that week. As she opened up and shared her heart with me, I was amazed.  Her zeal for God was contagious and I wanted more of that.  Her love for others broke through my heart of selfishness and the Holy Spirit began convicting me that I too need to selflessly love and care for others more.  I left that coffee shop freshly encouraged to love God more and to live each day in service to Him.
I think this is what the writer of Hebrews was referring to when He said, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”. (Heb 10:25)  We always use this verse to remind others that they ought ot be at church when we are having service( and we should, but we should not neglect the exhorting one another.  Be an encouragement.  Help your Christian brothers and sisters get thru another day.
As a part of the body of Christ, we are called to grow into His likeness, through His Spirit’s enabling, as well as build up and support each other in the body.  Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:16 “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” God has not called us to run this race alone, but He has graciously given us the Body to provide encouragement, support, care and even correction at times.
I am thankful for the friends that God has given me who continue to point me to Christ and encourage me to live each day for Him.  Let us learn from the writer of Hebrews and consider how we can motivate our friends towards love and good works, how we can point them to God, and how we can encourage them with the glorious hope found in the gospel of Christ.  Be the kind of friend that you need when you are down.  Love people.  You can take a stand against wrongs and errs without “kicking people while they’re down.”  Encourage your friends, for the glory of GOD.

Becoming A Pharisee

⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  ¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.  Luke 18:9-14

If there is anything in this word that I do not want to be, it’s a hypocrite or Pharisee.  There is nothing good enough about me that would entitle me to turning my nose up to people.  Yes, I am saved; yes, I have tried to omit all things that are displeasing to God from my life (even though I’ve not been completely successful yet); yes I am striving to be more like Christ every day; but still I am nothing without the grace of God.  As I become more burdened for my lost family, friends, and acquaintenances, I notice more how that some saved people have no concern at all for the lost.  I notice how that some saved people not only esteem themselves higher than the sinners, but also higher than those lower income or lower class Christians that are giving their all to do what is pleasing unto the Lord.  God, help me to never become “too good” to show someone kindness and let them know that Christ died for them. 

Pharisees all have some of the same characteristics. 

1. They are BULLHEADED.  Pharisees are very strong willed.  It is pretty much their way or no way in all matters of life.
2. They are BURDONSOME.  Matt 23:1-4 “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying the scribesand the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works:  for they say, and do not.  For they bind heavy burden sand grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”  So they will tell everyone else what they ought to do, but never make a move at it themselves.  They let everyone else carry the entire load, and then they want the recognition for it.
3. They are BARRACADED.  Pharisees surround themselves with other Pharisees.  They have their on cliques and wont dare let anyone that they deem as unworthy in.  They have a barricading wall around them that makes them untouchable…. So they think.

Today I want to look at some signs that we are becoming Pharisaical.  I want all of us to be a stepping stone to Christ for the lost, not a stumbling block. 

PRIDE ~ a major indication that we are becoming a Pharisee is when the world begins to revolve around the word I.  In Luke 18:11-12, this Pharisee “prays.”  Notice first of all that his prayer or conversation was with himself.  It wasn’t even a conversation with God.  That says a lot in itself.  Next notice that 5 out of his 34 words were “I.”   The truth to life is that it’s not all about us.  It is all about HIM.  About Christ.  This Pharisees pride also kept him from dealing with his own faults.  He was so busy pointing out everyone else’s flaws that he didn’t have the time to clean off his own back porch, as my pastor used to say.

PROMOTIONS ~ The Pharisee in our scripture promotes all of his works.  Look what I’ve done.  Look what I gave.  Look how often I fasted.  We never need to get to the point that we promote ourselves over GOD.  When we start promoting how good we are, we are setting ourselves up for failure.  Jesus said in Mark 10:18 “there is none good but one, that is God.”  The only thing worth bragging about in our life is what God has done for us.  None of our good works would even be possible, if it were not for HIM. 

PROBLEMS ~ one of the Pharisees problems was his methods.  Yes, what he did for God was right, but his motives were all wrong.  We are not to do good works so that we will be recognized.  Also, doing what God commands is not what gets us our blessings.  Giving our 10% is required.  What we give and do extra is what God blesses us off of.  And I am sure that had this Pharisee done any more than he did, he would have mentioned it in his solo conversation with himself.  All that he mentioned in his prayer were things that were required of him.  He didn’t do anything extra for the Lord.  That is a problem.  Not only were his methods and motives wrong, but so was his measuring stick.  He was measuring himself by other Pharisees and this other man.  It doesn’t matter how we measure up to the world.  It matters how we measure up to the WORD.  God’s word.  It matters how our life measures to that of Jesus’. 

Turning a blind eye to our lost community is a shame and disgrace to God.  As a matter of fact, if we are doing this, we are not right with God.  We are out of Gods will if we are not reaching out to the lost.  This doesn’t mean that we sacrifice our standards or beliefs to reach them, but we absolutely should never feel that we are too good to tell them about God sending His son so that they could have eternal life.  We should never worry about what our peers are going to think of us when they see us talking to those who are lost.  We, too, could be living the lifestyle that sinners live and be on a road to hell.  But God saw fit to put someone in our life that was not ashamed of HIM and that was not “above” speaking to a sinner.  Think about the difference that a true Christian has made in your life, and strive to be that for some lost person.

Being a Mother

As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.   Isa 66:13

I just heard a wonderful message that was preached on Mother’s Day, and wanted to share the thoughts from the message with you.  I’ve never heard a mother described like this preacher did. 

The mother is a picture of the holy spirit in the family.  You have God the Father, a picture of the father; God the Son, a picture of the elder brother: and the Holy Spirit, a picture of the mother.

The Bible says that the holy spirit giveth life.  The holy spirit gives life to

1. creation
2. Christ
3. the church
4. the Christian

The only thing in the world that gives life, is the female.  So we are going to look at how the mother is a picture of the holy spirit. 

Just as the holy spirit arranges the mood in a church, so does the mother in a home.  The old saying,” if momma aint happy, aint nobody happy,” is more than a cliché.  Women can make or break a good day at home.  If you want to be the best mother you can be, study the ministry of the holy spirit.  The holy spirits ministry to Gods children is extremely similar to the ministry of a mother.  

The Ministry

I.                   Consolation ~ There is not greater comforter to a child of God than the holy spirit.  When you are facing lifes greatest problems, there is no better relief than that which comes when the holy spirit speaks peace to your soul.  We all know how our problems seam to be so much less significant once we can share them with out mother.  That has now become out ministry.  Consoling our husband, our babies, our church families. 

II.                Education ~ My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Prov 6:20.  You birthed these children, you have the right and the responsibility to instruct them.  Teach your children about the Bible.   Don’t just tell them the stories in the Bible, sit down and read the Bible stories to them.  Not only will this teach them about the Bible, but it will also teach them to love their Bible and all of its content.  It will teach them to rely on the precious words and promises that God has had pinned down for us.  Teach your children to love the Lord.  The best way to teach them to love the Lord, is to love Him yourself.  Your children should see you worshipping Him outside of the house of God.  They should see your devotion to Him in reading His word, praying to Him, and worshipping Him.  It is not their Sunday School teachers responsibility to teach them all they know about the Bible.  It is not their preachers responsibility to teach them all they know about living for God.  It is however, as their mother, our responsibility.

III.             Edification ~ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you  into all  truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.  John 16:13-14.    I think that all of us probably throw a pity party every once in a while about how much we do and how little recognition we get for it.  Much of the holy spirits work goes unnoticed.  The Bible says here that he doesn’t testify of himself but gives the glory to God.  It is our job to edify our families.  Your husband needs to know that he is “running well,” so to speak.  It wont kill you to brag on him every once in a while.  This preacher mentioned that how as a boy he always wanted to please his daddy.  He said that he tried so so hard to make his daddy proud, but very few times did he remember his daddy telling him how proud he was.  He then recollected on how he didn’t have to do much at all for his mommy to tell him what a good job he had done, or that she was so very proud of him.  We ought to be that for our children.  There definitely has to be discipline, and I don’t feel that they should get a new toy every time they make their bed; but I do know that there is such a look of achievement in their eyes when they are praised a little.  Let them be kids.  Don’t try to make grown ups out of babies.  The Bible says that it is in every person to be a kid in I Cor 13:11.  It says when I became a man I put away childish things.  So its better to let them be a kid while they are little than to miss it then and be a kid after they’re grown.

IV.               Supplication ~ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Eph 6:18.  No one can carry a burden like a mother.  No ones heart aches for her children like a mothers does.  When everyone else in the world has given up hope on her child, a mothers desire to see that child saved, safe, healthy, happy, and well still burns within her soul.  A Christian mother never ever gives up on her children. 

  Unlike the holy spirit, we are not perfect.  Our ministry is not always what God would have it be.  However, we ought to strive to live the cleanest, purest, and obedient life that we can.  We need to strive to please God in all that we do.  The greatest thing we can leave our children is the assurance that their mommy loved the Lord, and memory after memory of how she lived for God and loved her family. 

Adding Value to Your Hubby

If you were to ask every “ministry wife” if she wanted to add value to her husband, most would surely say yes.  I don’t think that any saved individual would set out to negatively impact their husband’s ministry.  I have just a few thoughts on how we all can be a better wife for the ministry. 

Be a Helpmate

Believe it or not, the first thing that God called you to in the Bible was not motherhood.  I’ve heard people say that being a mother is their highest calling.  That sounds good, and even as much as I love being a mother, I have to admit, it doesn’t come first according to the Word of God.

The first thing God said when He created the first woman is that she was made for a helpmate for her husband.  He didn’t say and behold I have created a mother.  “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Gen 2:18.  Motherhood came along after the call of being a helpmate.

Many women are so busy with other things, including their children, that they forget that their first calling (after their personal relationship with God) is being a wife.  A wife is called by God to be a helpmate to their husband.  There is just no way around it.  God has already proclaimed this in His word. 

When most churches are looking for a pastor, they will ask “how involved is your wife?”  What they are really asking is “Is she with you?”  They want to know is she a helpmate to the pastor.  They want to know that she is a helper at home as well as by his side at church.  When a wife is missing and not by her husbands side, it does somewhat subtract value from a pastor.  For one, it sends out a bad signal to people in the church and the community.  Someone may have wrong intentions toward your husband and if they never see you there, they may try to fill your place.  It is essential for a lot of reasons to be alongside your husband.

Many women say, “I am a helper.  I take care of his home and his children.”   That’s very important, but remember that his world consists of more than that.  You cannot fully be a helper of a man without understanding all of his world and offering help wherever he may need you. 

Some will say “ I’m just a behind the scenes person.  I’m not called to be up front.”  It’s not about being the microphone.  There’s nothing wrong with working behind the scenes, however, if you are too busy working behind the scenes that you can never be at your husbands side, accompanying him, it is a problem.  The question is not whether you speak publicly, but if you stand – actually physically standing – with him?  What is important is not what roles you fill in the church, but can you be seen walking and standing with him in his ministry?

Set Him Free To Work

The Bible makes it clear in 2 Thes 3:10 that if we don’t work, we don’t eat.  The Bible expounds in many places the value of hard work.  ^“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:” 2Thes 3:6-8.  I think that sometimes pastors wives think that the ministry should be a profession where their husbands time is all their own. 

Effective ministry is very hard work that takes a lot of hours.   Many wives resent those hours , and  not secretly.  Part of the problem is that they view it as “his work” not “our work.”  The work has to be “our work” to be successful.  When God called your husband, he knew who his wife was.  He entrusted you also with this work.  The wife must realize how important the work is and take some ownership in the work also. 

Men whose wives do not take ownership are at a disadvantage.  They are always walking a tightrope between work and home.  I don’t think that things should always be in the same order on priorities list.  Some days it is more important to be with family, while other days it is going to be more important to be with a church member.  Much of the success in life comes from knowing what God is calling for on that particular day and time.  I have learned that we cant always have a balance, but we do learn to juggle.

Encourage His Dreams

Your husband has dreams.  Many are God given dreams.  Some he may be afraid to share with you because he may fear your reaction.  His dream may mean a sacrifice, a change, or even a move for you.  But every man craves a woman who will dream with him and encourage his dreams.  The absence of this in a marriage is why a lot of affairs take place.  A man finds someone who listens to the dreams of his heart and actually believes he can accomplish them. 

Do you encourage your husband to succeed?  Do you energize him, or do you make him tires?  I’ve always wanted my husband to be excited to arrive home.  I don’t want him to fear walking thru the door, but I want him to feel so excited to get home and share his heart with me.  When something is going on in his world, I want to be the first person he calls.  I know that I’ve not always made him feel like that but I have learned that any other home environment is not one that I want to live in or one that I want him to “have to” live in. 

Be Generous With Compliments

Your husband needs your encouragement.  It means more to him than words from anyone else.  Others can compliment him, but if your words are missing, it’s a huge problem.  I know many wives who say, “I don’t know of much that I can compliment him on.  He has so many issues….”  Everybody has something of worth to be complimented on.  Even when Bub preaches a message that is not one of his best, I find something to compliment him on.  If nothing else, a “wow, you looked like a million bucks up there.”  Or “ you are the most handsome preacher in Cleveland County.”  Trust me, if he “flopped” in the pulpit, he already knows it.  He does not need you to remind him.

What are you doing to encourage?  “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”  1 Thes 5:11. 

Your husband may be going thru a trying time in his ministry.  Maybe he is just starting out, and like many young preachers, he may have a hard time boldly stepping out in what God has called him to do.  The Bible gives you a mandate.  “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” 1 Thes 5:14  This is a proclamation from God as how we are to treat everyone, but don’t you think your husband should come first?

Take Care of Him

God has called those of us who are wives to be a helper in all things.  For me, this extends from helping him with everything from his wardrobe, his medical checkups, and privately. 

Okay okay, I hear some of you saying, “What about me?  This is all about him!”  Well that’s what this blog is about, how you can add value to him, not how he can add value to you.  I have learned that if you treat your man like a king, he will treat you like a queen.  We have a mandate from God to care for the man who has been entrusted to us. 

Proverbs 18:22 says “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”  So I ask you, has your husband found a good thing?  Keep in mind that the scriptural definition of wife is “helper.”  Has your husband found a helper?

Proverbs 31:10 says “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” 

More than ever, a good woman -  a true helpmate – is hard to find.  If you are adding value to your husband you my friend are a hot commodity.  If your husband has found you, he has found something more precious that jewels. 

Proverbs 31:11 goes on to say “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.  She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”  Does your husband secretly think “ I could accomplish much more if it wasn’t for my wife.”  If you have a doubt, its not too late to turn things around.  You can start adding value to your husband today by being generous as the scripture says. 

In doing all of these things for your husband you are setting him free to soar.  There are endless possibilities of things that God can do with him if you will let Him. 

I said that I wasn’t going to get into this, but I do just want to remind you all of one thing.  The Bible says in Proverbs that what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.  I have found this to be more than true.  As I add value to my husband and make things happen for him, God makes things happen for me that are far beyond my wildest dreams.