Priorities of a Godly Woman

Titus 2:3-5: Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be reviled.

As a woman striving to be a Titus 2 woman in today's world, I must be reminded of the God given priorities that are in Scripture. Seeking the Lord must be our first desire and we do that by obeying His direct words found here in Titus chapter 2. The role of women is not a negotiable or controversial idea for believers. It is clearly expressed...so how are you doing in the area of loving your husbands? Hopefully these words will encourage and challenge you as they have me over the years.

First, wives are to love their husbands. This command is simple and ambiguous. There are no conditions or exceptions. It is not simply that love of husbands is a virtue but that not loving them is a sin. Paul is not referring to romantic or sexual love, although that has an important and proper place in marriage. He is speaking of committed love that godly wives choose to have for their husbands, just as godly husbands choose to have for their wives (Ephesians 5:25, 28). Philandros is a noun, here rendered to love… husbands, and refers to willing, determined love that is not based on a husband's worthiness but on God's command and that is extended by a wife's affectionate and obedient heart. Even unlovable, uncaring, unfaithful, and ungrateful husbands are to be loved. This sort of love of husbands and wives for each other involves unqualified devotedness and is a friendship that is strong and deep. And when a wife does not truly love her husband she must, in obedience to the Lord, train herself to love him.

~Bible Bulletin Board:John MacArthur

Worthy of Your Hope

His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope. 1 Peter 1:3

John MacArthur states in Truth For Today:

Why is this hope important? Unbelievers do not trust Him, so they cannot hope in Him. But as a believer, you have seen that God has been faithful in your past and present and that gives you hope that He will be faithful in the future. And that gives Him glory.

Simply put, God is glorified when you trust Him. He's glorified when you believe Him. And he is glorified when you hope in His future promise. The God who has given you such a great salvation is worthy of your hope.

Instruction of the Lord

More encouraging help from John MacArthur on some basics on raising godly children. You can read the rest of the article here.

"Instruction" (Gk., nouthesia) is literally a "putting in mind" and also includes the connotation of correction. It refers to the type of instruction found in the book of Proverbs, where, as we've seen, a primary focus is on the training and teaching of children. Such training and teaching doesn't have as much to do with factual information as with right attitudes and principles of behavior.

The key to right discipline and instruction of children is its being "of the Lord." Everything parents do for their children is to be of Him--according to the teaching of His Word, by the guidance and power of His Spirit, and to His own glory and honor. The husband is to love his wife dearly, the wife is to respect her husband, and the two are to be sensitive in raising their children in the things of Christ. If you do that, your children will be the blessing, joy, comfort, and consolation that God intended.