Role Reversal

I was in somebody's home recently and was intrigued by what I saw. The sight of a husband busying himself with the dishes and cleaning the kitchen and of a wife enjoying herself playing with their kids in the backyard. Role reversal?

Role reversal originated in the Garden of Eden when the father of all lies came to Mrs. Eve one day. She decided she would have a little talk with him. Later, he talked her into eating the forbidden fruit. The next thing we know she also gave the fruit to Mr. Adam, her husband, for a bite, who did NOTHING but followed his wife. The wife leading her husband! The husband who submitted himself to his wife! Role Reversal.

Divorce: Not an Option

"50% of all marriages in the America end in divorce."

The divorce rate in America for first marriage, vs second or third marriage
50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri.”

What a distasteful fact! Another statistics fact shows that divorces among professing born-again Christians is 30% of the whole divorce rate in the country. This fact makes it even sickening!

It is so sad that many women today think that divorce is a better option than staying in a bad marriage. What a deception! Apparently, these women do not acknowledge that there is no marriage God cannot heal and that there is no person God cannot change.

How easy for many women to put all the blame on their husbands when they feel discontented in their marriages. But even if much of the blame falls on the husband, women have to understand that they are not perfect either. Wives are also sinners, equally needing the grace of God.

Forgiveness is the only way to receive God's best! God has commanded us to forgive without limit. A wife's willingness to extend sacrificial love to her mate may be the means of his spiritual healing.

Nancy Leigh Demoss said in her book, "Lies Women believe..." "The enemy has made amess and a mockery out of marriage. His lies have resulted in countless fractured lives and homes. ONly the Truth has power to redeem, restore and renew."

The Lesson I've Learned

Long before our vacation to the East Coast, I had been looking forward to the fresh seafood available in the area. You see, I grew up just about a hundred feet away from the sea shore. Everyday, we had fish, otherwise, shrimp, crab, squid and literally all kinds of seafood you could name. A vacation to the East Coast was a perfect place for me. I planned to eat grilled fresh Tuna at least one meal per day while we were there. I felt so excited by the thought of it.

When we got there, things didn't turn out as I expected. I don't need to go on with the details. But yes, I was disappointed. I even acted like a perfect spoiled brat. For the last couple meals, I refused to feed myself with the food that was available. For doing that, I didn't only punish myself but also my nursing daughter and my husband who was so puzzled what went wrong. Deep in my mind, I was actually blaming my husband for not bringing us to the restaurant where I wanted to eat at. With that in mind, I started showing some really strange behavior. The thought that it was my husband's fault just kept coming and magnifying itself in my brain. Until I blew it off by verbalizing my disappointment. I totally sounded like some very frustrated, discontented and crazy fellow.

Yes, I acted foolishly. Oh, how easy for us women to see our husband's faults through a microscope and see our own faults through a telescope. Realizing this, I didn't waste time. I came to the Lord and repented of my sin. I also asked my husband to forgive me. Praise God I have a very loving and forgiving husband.

The Bride

Every girl has one grand dream and that is to someday become the most beautiful princess bride. Of who? Of the most handsome prince. As for me, it is a DREAM-COME-TRUE!

When I reached the age that most women get married, honestly, I started getting anxious. Questions like, "Will I be married to the man of my dreams?" But I didn't let that question manipulate me in such a way that I would make choices that jeopardize the coming true of my dream. Instead, I waited and waited and waited. Waiting is not fun, but it definitely is very rewarding. I didn't only waited, I also saved myself for the man God would send my way. I admit that along the way, I met several men that I thought would be my prince. But things with each of them were commonplace. Nothing special. Nothing grand. And something was wrong. I'd already convinced myself that when my prince would come, it would be perfectly beautiful. And that I would know that the time had come! I waited so many years for my prince to come. When he finally came, all the pains, worries and fears disappeared.

In the same way, the Church of Christ is eagerly anticipating for the coming of her Prince Bridegroom- the Lord Jesus Christ. As we wait for that glorious day- the marriage of the Lamb of God to us- His elect, we must save ourselves for Him alone. Let us not become deceived by those who come our way claiming to be Christ. "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:5

Discipleship

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

There is a great need to realize that the verse above is not only spoken for a chosen few but for every Christian. We are all called to evangelize! All called to disciple!

One of the things that hinder us to disciple others is that we are not being discipled ourselves. We definitely not able to disciple others unless we are. It feels nice to say that we are mentoring others but it doesn't feel the same the other way around. Why is that? Simple! We like to feel important. We like the emotion that we are being looked up to and run to by those who are a little behind of us. But, in no way that this should be the driving force that thrusts us to reach out and disciple others. The only motivation should only be that we are simply obeying the Great Commission.

To be discipled is not as easy as it seems. It is only by the grace of God that we can allow others to speak to our lives according to the Word of God. By inviting godly people to mentor us, we are also inviting assault to our selfishness. Good disciplers don't only encourage us but they also rebuke, correct and teach us. We do not need people who affirm and flatter us all the time. We need mentors who help straighten our crooked paths by God's Word.