Linda Dillow's Blog - Posts Tagged "hope"
Hope for your Marriage
National Football League coach John McKay said, “I am a big believer in the mirror test. All that matters is if you can look in the mirror and honestly tell the person you see there, that you’ve done your best.” I find the word best confusing because some of us feel like we can never live out our definition of “best.” If I were writing the above quote, it would sound different—it would go like this:
I am big believer in the mirror test. All that matters is if you can look in the mirror and honestly tell the wife you see there that you've been faithful.
Faithfulness is what God asks of me as a wife. It is required that a wife who has been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2, author’s paraphrase)
The “trust” I have been given is one man, Jody Dillow, and God asks me to prove trustworthy in carrying out my assignment as a wife to him.
Have you taken this verse into heart? God doesn’t say you have to be the best wife in the world. You don’t have to be like Super Wife down the street. You don’t have to be the best lover or best anything. You do have to take your assignment as a wife seriously.
I live my years as a wife knowing that one day the Lord will ask me, “Linda, were you faithful?” I want to do my part to love Jody, to make the right choices, because one day God will evaluate my life at the judgment seat of Christ. I long to hear the Lord say to me, “Linda, you have loved and encouraged Jody. Well done, My good and faithful servant.”
These verses from Psalm 119 have encouraged me as I reflect on walking faithfully as a wife. They encompass all the seasons of my marriage journey: past, present, and future.
I have chosen the faithful way…
I cling to your testimonies…
I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart. (Psalm 119:30 – 32 NASB)
In the past: “I have chosen the faithful way.” Chosen in Hebrew means to “take a keen look at.” It is a choosing that has ultimate and eternal significance. If your choice in the past has been to set your heart on God’s desire for your marriage, your choice has eternal significance. God rejoices over your choice! If this has not been your choice in the past, it can be your choice today. By doing this, you declare: From this day forward, I choose God’s way.
In the present: “I cling to your testimonies.” Cling is a strong word that means to “stick like glue.” This special word is translated as cleave in Genesis concerning marriage: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 KJV) I love this; I cling to my husband in intimate oneness, and I cling to God’s Word.
In the future: “I shall run the way of your commandments.” The word run fails to capture the energy of the Hebrew word. It means to charge into battle. Your God desires that you have a “charging into battle” mentality as you walk out each day as a wife. With a steadfast heart, determine to keep on keeping on, running purposefully along the track of His commands. Every day you can join me and pray something like this:
Okay, God, another day to choose Your way. Give me a charging-into-battle mentality as a wife.
Your part is to cling to the faithful way and charge into the battle of becoming all God desires you to be as a wife—to continue running toward who you want to become. This is your part. But the wonderful thing is, God has a part too:
I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart.
God knows I am weak, and He says to me, “Linda, as you charge into battle, running on My path, I will enlarge your heart by expanding your understanding of Jody. I will multiply your insight into Jody as a man. I will increase your knowledge of how to love and encourage Jody. I will give you skill so you can live your marriage as a thing of beauty.” And God’s promise is for you, too!
God will enlarge your heart of love for your husband.
God will expand your heart to understand and appreciate him.
God will pump more power into your heart so you can keep on keeping on.
Some people want to give up, but I firmly believe there is no marriage beyond God’s healing touch. People give up on marriage, but God doesn’t.
Adapted from What’s It Like to be Married to Me?
I am big believer in the mirror test. All that matters is if you can look in the mirror and honestly tell the wife you see there that you've been faithful.
Faithfulness is what God asks of me as a wife. It is required that a wife who has been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2, author’s paraphrase)
The “trust” I have been given is one man, Jody Dillow, and God asks me to prove trustworthy in carrying out my assignment as a wife to him.
Have you taken this verse into heart? God doesn’t say you have to be the best wife in the world. You don’t have to be like Super Wife down the street. You don’t have to be the best lover or best anything. You do have to take your assignment as a wife seriously.
I live my years as a wife knowing that one day the Lord will ask me, “Linda, were you faithful?” I want to do my part to love Jody, to make the right choices, because one day God will evaluate my life at the judgment seat of Christ. I long to hear the Lord say to me, “Linda, you have loved and encouraged Jody. Well done, My good and faithful servant.”
These verses from Psalm 119 have encouraged me as I reflect on walking faithfully as a wife. They encompass all the seasons of my marriage journey: past, present, and future.
I have chosen the faithful way…
I cling to your testimonies…
I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart. (Psalm 119:30 – 32 NASB)
In the past: “I have chosen the faithful way.” Chosen in Hebrew means to “take a keen look at.” It is a choosing that has ultimate and eternal significance. If your choice in the past has been to set your heart on God’s desire for your marriage, your choice has eternal significance. God rejoices over your choice! If this has not been your choice in the past, it can be your choice today. By doing this, you declare: From this day forward, I choose God’s way.
In the present: “I cling to your testimonies.” Cling is a strong word that means to “stick like glue.” This special word is translated as cleave in Genesis concerning marriage: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24 KJV) I love this; I cling to my husband in intimate oneness, and I cling to God’s Word.
In the future: “I shall run the way of your commandments.” The word run fails to capture the energy of the Hebrew word. It means to charge into battle. Your God desires that you have a “charging into battle” mentality as you walk out each day as a wife. With a steadfast heart, determine to keep on keeping on, running purposefully along the track of His commands. Every day you can join me and pray something like this:
Okay, God, another day to choose Your way. Give me a charging-into-battle mentality as a wife.
Your part is to cling to the faithful way and charge into the battle of becoming all God desires you to be as a wife—to continue running toward who you want to become. This is your part. But the wonderful thing is, God has a part too:
I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart.
God knows I am weak, and He says to me, “Linda, as you charge into battle, running on My path, I will enlarge your heart by expanding your understanding of Jody. I will multiply your insight into Jody as a man. I will increase your knowledge of how to love and encourage Jody. I will give you skill so you can live your marriage as a thing of beauty.” And God’s promise is for you, too!
God will enlarge your heart of love for your husband.
God will expand your heart to understand and appreciate him.
God will pump more power into your heart so you can keep on keeping on.
Some people want to give up, but I firmly believe there is no marriage beyond God’s healing touch. People give up on marriage, but God doesn’t.
Adapted from What’s It Like to be Married to Me?
