30 Days of Obedience - Day 27

Titus 2:3-5
"the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things -- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

Obedience is a taught discipline. Not only does the Holy Spirit teach it, but also those who are mature in faith. It does not come overnight, but it is a process of God's working in our life. Because I am studying obedience, I will focus in on the verse, "Obedient to their own husbands." Here are my thoughts:

1. Many times I have been asked if I would like to do something (these things are good to do), but I try to always get an okay from my husband. Why do I do this? Do I ask him because he rules over me? Yes, but it is more than that. I know my husband loves me and wants what is best for me. I don't always know what is best for me & I need that extra layer of protection to do what is beneficial for me. Before I got married, I had a tendency to load my calendar & was constantly doing something. As I look back now I am amazed with all that I did. I was more active with various activities, but I also struggled more with acid reflux due to stress. I had more stomach issues due to stress. I didn't take enough time for myself, therefore adding more stress. Why do I ask for "permission" from my husband to do things? Because I know he wants the best for me.

2. Why do I let Aaron handle finances? For me it is simply because he is more goal-oriented. He sees the BIG picture of the forest, while I see just the tree. I trust him, because he has shown that he is trustworthy. There are times when I start to worry about finances. He sits me down, shows me the books, and talks to me on where we are at & where we are going. Because of this trust, I am able to obey him in this area. We, of course, do have our arguements. However, they are small compared to what they would be if I tried to take over all the finances and not trust him.

3. Why obedient to my own husband? Well, this one is simple. He is the one God has put over me as my protection. If I were to listen to all husbands than that would be madness & way too many voices.

4. Obedience is a learned thing. I am learning more and more every day what it is to be obedient to my own husband. We decided in the very beginning of our relationship, we would not be yellers & nasty sayers. We decided, that much like his own parents, we would talk things out. You have no idea how much this bothers me at times. I want immediate gratification. I want to talk Aaron into things. I want to argue my way into what I want. However, that takes away all trust and obedience. By talking things through, decisions are better thought out & better planned. All possibilities and/or solutions are explored. So, no matter how irritating the waiting process is at times to reach a conclusion together, I know that it wasn't a wing of the pants decision.

5. A side note is that, "to love their husbands" and "to obey their own husbands," were listed separately. Obedience is possible without love and love is possible without obedience. However, it is hard to obey without love and it is impossible to love without obedience.