Walk Worthy

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:1-3

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Ephesians 4:1-3 speaks of the calling of a life in Christ. What a beautiful reminder to the calling of a wife and mother, as well.

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Lowliness is defined in Webster's 1828 Dictionary as freedom from pride; humility; humbleness of mind. Life as a wife and mom requires humbleness. There is simply no way around it. We can not care for our husbands and children and be prideful, thinking we are above some of the things that need to be done to help them. Changing diapers, cleaning toilets, taking our shower last, and (gasp!) going without dessert - all of those things require that we put ourselves last and others first.

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Gentleness needs to be an integral part of all we do. Our speech, facial expressions, tone of voice, even our movements as we help a little one dress or respond to our husband's physical needs are very revealing. This gentleness truly needs to come from the heart, not just be an act. Of course, sometimes we must act in gentleness regardless of what we truly are feeling inside. To do otherwise would be cruel. However, if we are so in tune with Jesus and spending time with Him daily, His gentle spirit will become our own more times than not.

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Being longsuffering is right up there with walking a tight rope. It is difficult and tricky, and when we fall it is painful. Countless times we are called to bite our tongues when husbands loose their cool after a rough day, a child accuses us of being unfair, or we feel plain old unappreciated. We must choose to be patient and not easily provoked. We must choose to be patient as we wait for home improvement projects to be completed or for children to put their boots on. Once again, spending much time at the feet of the One who is supremely longsuffering will prepare us for the times we must also be patient.

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Being a wife and mom requires that we bear the brunt of much. Sometimes children do not understand the decisions parents make and many times they take it out on mom. Our husbands trust us with their work concerns and their pent up frustrations, not always realizing that it can feel very personal to us. This is where "bearing with one another in love" comes into play. We must look at the whole picture and choose to keep the unity of the Spirit in our homes by how we respond.

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All of this looks quite overwhelming until we look at the fact that we are called to this. What the Lord calls us to He equips us for. He gives us nothing to do for which we do not have His grace. It is not a hopeless, overwhelming task to bear in love, be longsuffering, patient, and gentle. On the contrary, it is a fabulous opportunity to walk in Christ, drawing closer to Him each day in order to receive the grace we need.

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Prayer:

Father, thank You that You give me everything I need to walk as Jesus did. There is nothing set before me that is impossible with Your guidance and grace. Please help me to walk in Your Spirit this week as I minister to my family. Amen.

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Challenge:

Ask the Lord to let you see your husband and children through His eyes this week. Be watchful for those times that you fall into impatience, selfishness, and resentfulness. Take time every morning for prayer and Scripture reading to help you be prepared for all that comes your way.

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Jen Gorton 2009