And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Col. 3:17)
JOEL HAD IT ALL. He was prosperous and well thought of around town. He had a woman, his wife, who taught the children and kept them quiet when he was tired. His wife also kept a nice, neat home and wasn’t a bad cook either. He knew she understood her place. Joel was satisfied with life.
That was before his new neighbor moved in. That guy upset everything Joel thought was correct—and Joel prided himself in being correct. His neighbor modeled a respect for his wife that Joel had never seen, and explained to Joel that his goal was to embody the scriptural teaching of laying down his life for his wife.
Wives were considered property when Jesus came on the scene. But He challenged the accepted idea of women being second class and offered them the opportunity to be equal in His kingdom. The early church struggled to continue in this process. Paul encouraged his little flock to always remember that all their actions could represent Jesus. This would help them keep their actions and attitudes toward others honoring to God.
Joel wanted to be right, so he explored this new idea of behavior in order to disprove it. He tried it out and was amazed at how his family responded! There was a happiness and peace at home he’d never experienced before—a true revolution in homemaking.
Choose to break any unbiblical stereotypes in your relationships, and in so doing, honor God.
Annie Wamberg lives in Colorado Springs. An empty-nester, Annie has plunged back into singing. When not sleeping, Annie runs a cleaning business.
