That they may teach the young 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.
Titus 2:4-5
I decided to combine two posts into one, since both are kind of self-explanatory.
Being good had me stumped for awhile, because the whole verse seems to be about being good, does it not?
But looking up other translations helped immensely. It also means to be kind, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, and happy.
Well, I will tell you from first hand experience that if you are loving your husband, loving your children, being discreet, chaste, and guarding your home, you can't help but be joyful!
But when things aren't going as we planned, our siblings are fighting and you can't get them to stop, our parents keep asking us to do things when we haven't finished with the last 5 things they told us to do, feeling ill ourselves but can't stop because there is no one to take your place, our siblings don't finish their chores and you are the one in trouble (it has happened before!), and everything just seemed to be depending on you, it isn't easy to be agreeable or pleasant to those around you!
Perhaps what I am about to say you may find a bit surprising; people can't make you mad. Your family can't "get on your last nerve". You choose to have a last nerve. You choose to be angry. How you respond to situations does not need to depend on the situation itself, but on 1. Your relationship with God, and 2.How you choose to respond.
There have been several times when something happened, and I was in a different room when it took place, so I was able to hear it before they confronted me with it (e.g. someone broke my favorite teacup, or my tea pot {I love tea}), and I was able to decide before that I was not going to get angry. When they told me about it, I looked at the offender and told her I forgave her. She was so relieved, and thanked me over and over again (it was the same little girl both times). It would have been very easy to have blown up at her, and hurt her in the process. But because I was able to step back and assess the situations, I didn't.
So, my advice. Cry out to the Lord, stay away from it until you can think clearly, count to ten (never worked for me. I always forgot), and then make a decision that you know would please the Lord.
I don't really know about being obedient to their own husbands, because I don't have one, but I do know about obeying my Dad. Not just obeying, but respecting, honoring, and helping his helpmeet to run his home efficiently. Not to mention being submissive. And how we respond to our Dad's is how we will also respond to our husbands someday. There have been numerous books written on this subject already, so here are some really great books I have read/am reading:
So Much More by Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham
Preparing to be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl
We can be Christ-like women, while even being at home. Life doesn't start when you get married. It's happening before your eyes. Don't waste this time in your life that the Lord has given you.
Emily Long
Preparing to be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl
We can be Christ-like women, while even being at home. Life doesn't start when you get married. It's happening before your eyes. Don't waste this time in your life that the Lord has given you.
Emily Long
