At the end of 2013 I knew that finding a biblical devotion to start the new year was just what I needed to start 2014 with purpose. I had brainstormed & googled some things, but hadn’t chosen anything. Then… Elise from Cheers Y’all struck my heart at just the right moment. She posted about a new devotion she would be reading & asked for others to join in. I researched the book and & knew it was all part of God’s perfect timing. Wife After God by Jennifer Smith has been a part of my daily quite time for the last 30 days & I am truly encouraged to be a Wife AFTER God. The insight of her thoughts combined with God’s word and applicable calls to action have honestly changed my heart & my marriage.
From day one I knew this devotion was written for my heart. Learning to be a wife is trying, discerning God’s will can also be a struggle, figuring out how to do both at the same time is almost impossible. Being a wife AFTER God is not something that the world teaches or even encourages, but ladies…that’s our calling, our purpose, our life. If I had to choose only ONE takeaway from this study, that would be it. My calling is to be a woman of God. From the time I wake up until I fall asleep that night, my life is to be an overflowing cup of the blessings, attitudes, & attributes of God. Out of that joy & relationship with God will my role as a wife come in. My marriage will only thrive to its full potential when my heart is right with the Lord. Yes, it may seem great, like we have everything…but deep down, there IS something missing & it’ll be never be filled with vacations, children (or fur babies), money, or things. It’s ONLY the relationship with Christ in my life & marriage that will allow it to be fully satisfied.
Luckily, I don’t have to choose just one favorite takeaway! Flipping back through my journal of the last month, I am even more encouraged by the lessons I learned: What a life of submission means – a lesson NOT taught by the world, How my husband is a gift & our marriage has divine purpose, that pure joy only comes from the maker of happiness, what intimacy really means, & how marriage is one of God’s favorite creations. There are so many that I could go on & on, but I’ll give you just one more specific lesson – Posture. This book left me with an incredible analogy that my posture for the Lord is obvious. From my attitude and physical body language to my day to day routines – my posture, my relationship with Him, is necessary to be a Wife AFTER God.
One last observation….a wedding is not marriage. This wasn’t in the book but it’s on my heart. In today’s society SO many young women & men are deceived by the false impression of a wedding. The excitement of the engagement, celebration of showers, & the extravagant details of the “prefect day” is NOTHING compared to a lifetime unified by God in marriage. The words written above are what describes a marriage – not just a wedding. This world is deceiving, an attribute not of God but of the devil. Dear Friends, let’s not fall into the trap of false satisfaction or unrealistic expectations. Let us see marriage what it really is – created by God for HIS glory!!!
I am so grateful for Elise & her introduction to this book. I am grateful for Jennifer who wrote it & provided examples for us to learn from. I am grateful for my husband who stands next to me in our marriage of purpose. But I am MOST thankful for a God who has perfect timing, perfect purpose, perfect marriage & provides a way for me to experience ALL of it!
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| I am an unvieled WIFE! |
Thank YOU for sharing with me today! I encourage you to dive into this incredible journey as a wife, and more importantly as a woman of God.
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| You can learn more here. You can buy the book here. |
Frankly my dear…I am a Wife After God.
