1. Obedience (1Peter 3:5-7)
I believe that every woman has trouble with this one. There is something in our nature that has to question whether or not we should listen to our husbands. I mean, sometimes he makes the wrong choices, right? But here's the deal. You chose him to be your husband so you must have put some faith in his intelligence at one time. More than likely he has your best interests at heart. After all, he did marry you because he loves you and cares for you. So listen to your husband ladies and let him wear the pants in the family.
2. Concern for children (Exodus 2:2-10)
If you look up the scriptures that I've given, you will see that it is the story of Moses and how his mother protected him from being slaughtered by Pharaohs soldiers. I believe that this is one of the best examples ever of a mother that cares for her child more than herself or her own feelings. She could have tried to keep Moses hidden for years but she knew it wasn't safe. So she did the best thing that she knew to do. She hid him until he couldn't be hidden any longer and then she gave him up for his own good. I know that it had to have been heart wrenching to have placed him in that basket. Even in her sacrifice God rewarded her. Moses sister followed the basket and when Pharaoh's daughter found the baby she told the princess that she knew of a woman that could nurse the child. So in the end Moses' mother still had an instrumental part in his formative years.
3. Loyalty (Ruth 1:14-18)
A good woman is loyal and can be counted on.
4. A desire for children (1Samuel 1:9-28)
I find it interesting that the desire for children should be listed as one of the traits. I don't find it interesting because it doesn't fit in but because it blends with every other trait so well. From the call to obedience (God commanded mad to go forth and multiply) to tenderness which is self explanatory to any mother. I find women that have not desire for children awkward to be around. They are often very selfish and narcissistic. I find them very unfeminine even if they are the most made up and best dressed woman in the room. There is something very natural about women and babies. When Amberly was a baby I would sometimes bring her to my sister in laws pep rallies and the teenage girls would go crazy over her. It was very natural. I still have a desire for more children though God seems to have something else in His plan for us so I am trying to be patient and see what that is. :-)
5. Modesty (Esther 1:10-12)
Women are naturally more beautiful than man. God did that on purpose and I think that we are supposed to put our best face forward modestly. I'm not going to get into the argument here about pants vs skirts or long hair vs short hair as I think that is something that is a personal decision for everyone. I try and get my girls to dress modestly and for us that means that they are to wear clothes that cover them properly. The clothes cannot be too tight or low cut. Amberlys make up must be minimal and only used to accentuate her features. You want to highlight what God gave you not put a clearance sticker on it!
6. Industry (Prov. 31:10-31)
I think that every good woman works heard and that is what this verse is talking about. I also think that most mothers meet this standard easily. Wives and mothers are industrious any way you look at them.
7. Complete devotion (Luke 7:38-50)
Complete devotion is a hard thing to find in this day and age. These verses tell us the story of a woman that was a sinner and how she washes Jesus' feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. She then annoints them with ointment. A Pharisee saw this happen and thought to himself, if this man (meaning Jesus) were a prophet, he would know that this woman is a sinner. (He thought it and Jesus heard his thoughts. Just think about that for a moment. Jesus can hear your thoughts.) Jesus turns to this guy and says, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head." That is devotion folks. I know that it would be easy to say that we have devotion for our husbands and children but how easily could we say that we actually practice devotion to them daily?
8. Tenderness (John 11:20-35)
John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible. It simple says, "Jesus wept." He wept for Mary and Martha after they had lost their brother. He knew that Lazarus was going to be raised from the dead. He knew because He had told them that it would happen. He was crying WITH them. Just because you know that a situation is going to be okay, doesn't mean that you shouldn't be tender with the person that is immersed in that situation. Women need to be tender. Period! A mother needs to have tenderness and practice it daily. All the boo boos and hurt feelings will pass. You know they will and it will be something new in 10 minutes. For right now though, that boo boo is the most important thing in that childs life. Care about it because it has lasting benefits. When your children get older they will know that you care and come to you with their hurts.
I fail daily in at least one of these areas. It is hard to fight the flesh and do what the spirit is supposed to do.
God Bless you all!
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