Faithful in the Small Things

by Amanda
from Virtuous Daughters, May 2015~Volume 15, Number 2

What do you think are the most desired qualities in a wife and mother? That she can cook a mouth-watering roast? Or bake up scrumptious scones? Or maybe keep the home neat as a pin? Maybe running a household of ten smoothly? Or maybe being able to knit a cardigan, teach seven homeschoolers, and feed the baby all at the same time?! All these skills are wonderful and would be greatly appreciated by a husband :), but the most important thing as we prepare to be a godly wife and mother is…

our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The other day I was speaking with a young mother with four little ones. She explained how that while she was single, she had read all the books, listened to all the sermons, learned all the skills, and knew the ins and outs of being a wife and mother. She said something that surprised me, “Everyday I find myself completely lost at how to handle situations in my marriage and with my children. Even after all the preparation I did, I need to go to God everyday for help and guidance.” This was a stark reminder that the number one key in preparing to be a wife and mother is cultivating our relationship with our Savior.

I hope to be a wife and mother one day. Not just any wife and mother, but a godly one. The truth is, however, that saying, “I do” is not going to instantly make me one, regardless of much I wish it to be so. To have these things I must be obeying Jesus today. I must be faithful in the little things. A crucial part of cultivating our relationship with the Lord is being faithful in the little things here and now. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10).

Faithful in the Little Things
 
~Faithful in Our Quiet Times
 “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We do not eat once a week and expect it to sustain us for a whole week; we should not view our times with the Lord as such either. We need a daily ‘re-fueling’ to keep us steadfast in Him, both in the ups and downs of life. Start the habit now of being in the Word daily and being faithful in Bible study, prayer, and memorization.
 
~Faithful in Our Relationships
God has put us in the most effective training ground possible—our very own families! Do you want to be an honoring wife to your husband? Cultivate an honoring attitude to your parents now. Do you want to be a wife and mother that invests in the hearts of her family? Invest now in the hearts of your siblings. Do you want to be a wife and mother that has a gentle reply even when you’re feeling less than, well, gentle? The opportunities abound all around!
 
~Faithful in Cultivating Character
What has God been asking you to work on? Submitting to your parents with a meek and quiet spirit? Having a joyful attitude amidst the mountains of laundry, schoolwork, music lessons, meal preparation and, What? More dishes?? Or what about learning to handle reproof graciously? Or finding contentment in Him? Or maybe a big one for us ladies, bringing thoughts and emotions captive? If God has asked us to be faithful in one of these areas, let us make that our goal! Ask your parents what character qualities you could improve on and if they have any tips for improvement. And if you really want a chance to grow in character, ask what weaknesses they see in your life. :)

~ Faithful in Finding Our Strength in Him
Wives and mothers are given a certain standard by which they should be striving.
Titus 2:4-5 says, “That they (the older women) may teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.” And in Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” I don’t know about you, but all these qualities come really naturally for me…NOT! I’d like to imagine that marrying the man of my dreams is going to just make all these wonderful qualities burst out of me…but I am afraid it will not be so. Read the verses again; can any of us do these things in our own strength and out of our own goodness? I know that I absolutely cannot. It is only by the grace of God working in me and an abiding relationship in Him that I can be these things. These verses are a great reminder that the depth of our walk with the Lord is going to determine our success as a wife and mother.
 
As single young ladies, the desire to be married and have a family can seem quite
consuming at times. Maybe you are like me and find that sometimes it is a trial (a situation that tests our faith) to be single. That is okay! Use it as a reminder that we NEED Jesus and that He is completely sufficient for our every need (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Use those desires for the future as a reminder that above all things, we should be faithful in the little things, and must be investing in our relationship with Him. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
 
May the Lord give you grace to abide in Him and to be a radiant example of Christ our King!