This week we are enjoying a guest post by Julie Arduini. I realize that not all our readers are married, but I encourage everyone to read this anyway to glean wisdom in general. Thank you Julie for your post!
There are times God is speaking to me and I'm just not getting what He's saying. I have always prayed that when this happens He do whatever He has to do to get my attention. When I discover that I keep running into the same topic, song, sermon or Bible verse, I know that is His cue for me to listen up.
Lately the cue has been the book of Esther. I listen to a sermon and it's about her. I'm reading non fiction books and there she is again. Browsing blogs and yep, Esther. I started taking notes and found a common theme to her story.
Esther has great tips for contemporary wives to apply in their lives.
1. Be proactive, not reactive. Esther learned the Jewish people, her own family, were in grave danger of being obliterated and her husband was the one who signed the edict to make it so. I would think that if anyone had the justification to freak out, Esther did. I've overreacted over much less. One of our first fights was when I went out for ice cream but took a side trip to the mall without calling to let him know. This was before cell phones so he ha no idea where I was and he panicked. I returned safely to meet his disappointed gaze and I gave an Oscar winning performance. Esther is a good example of what to do in marriage. She went to prayer and declared a fast before approaching her husband. It's a good lesson I wish I modeled.
2. Soak it in. Before King Xerxes chose Esther as his bride there was a competition of sorts to see who would be his new wife. The process was lengthy and involved a series of beauty treatments. I thought it was something like a spa day where Esther and the candidates came out smelling pretty but it was more than that. There were certain fragrances that had special meanings that were symbolic in nature. They weren't dabbed on her but rubbed in until they became part of her skin. This spoke to me. It's so easy for me to spend a little time with God and think it's enough. As wives we were created to dispense wisdom to our husbands. Often we can see things long term and/or from a perspective our husband otherwise would not see. I need to allow time with Him, soaking in His presence and letting everything about Jesus become a part of me take place or anything I share with my husband isn't going to have a lot of substance to it. I want to have a strong fragrance of the Lord in everything I do, not a watered down perfume I just dab on and hope the anointing stays.
3. The best way to your husband's heart is through his stomach. Esther invited her husband and the evil Haman for a banquet not once, but twice. She made sure Xerxes had a full meal and was satisfied before talking to him. Queen Esther had Xerxes' full attention. By praying, fasting and serving her man two amazing meals, Esther had favor. She was able to tell her husband everything Haman had done and planned to do. She took careful consideration in preparing and her work paid off. When my husband is under a lot of stress I make a point to include a favorite meal that week. He loves salad for lunch and I'll get up early to prepare one just so he knows I'm thinking of him. Food definitely isn't the only answer but I think going that extra mile is worth the effort. It definitely paid off for Esther.
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Lately the cue has been the book of Esther. I listen to a sermon and it's about her. I'm reading non fiction books and there she is again. Browsing blogs and yep, Esther. I started taking notes and found a common theme to her story.
Esther has great tips for contemporary wives to apply in their lives.
1. Be proactive, not reactive. Esther learned the Jewish people, her own family, were in grave danger of being obliterated and her husband was the one who signed the edict to make it so. I would think that if anyone had the justification to freak out, Esther did. I've overreacted over much less. One of our first fights was when I went out for ice cream but took a side trip to the mall without calling to let him know. This was before cell phones so he ha no idea where I was and he panicked. I returned safely to meet his disappointed gaze and I gave an Oscar winning performance. Esther is a good example of what to do in marriage. She went to prayer and declared a fast before approaching her husband. It's a good lesson I wish I modeled.
2. Soak it in. Before King Xerxes chose Esther as his bride there was a competition of sorts to see who would be his new wife. The process was lengthy and involved a series of beauty treatments. I thought it was something like a spa day where Esther and the candidates came out smelling pretty but it was more than that. There were certain fragrances that had special meanings that were symbolic in nature. They weren't dabbed on her but rubbed in until they became part of her skin. This spoke to me. It's so easy for me to spend a little time with God and think it's enough. As wives we were created to dispense wisdom to our husbands. Often we can see things long term and/or from a perspective our husband otherwise would not see. I need to allow time with Him, soaking in His presence and letting everything about Jesus become a part of me take place or anything I share with my husband isn't going to have a lot of substance to it. I want to have a strong fragrance of the Lord in everything I do, not a watered down perfume I just dab on and hope the anointing stays.
3. The best way to your husband's heart is through his stomach. Esther invited her husband and the evil Haman for a banquet not once, but twice. She made sure Xerxes had a full meal and was satisfied before talking to him. Queen Esther had Xerxes' full attention. By praying, fasting and serving her man two amazing meals, Esther had favor. She was able to tell her husband everything Haman had done and planned to do. She took careful consideration in preparing and her work paid off. When my husband is under a lot of stress I make a point to include a favorite meal that week. He loves salad for lunch and I'll get up early to prepare one just so he knows I'm thinking of him. Food definitely isn't the only answer but I think going that extra mile is worth the effort. It definitely paid off for Esther.
Julie Arduini is a writer and speaker residing in NE Ohio with her husband and children. She loves to encourage audiences to find freedom through surrender and I understand it has to start with her. Please join her as she surrenders the good, the bad, and —maybe one day—the chocolate.
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