Lesson 15 - How to Make Your Spouse A Radiant Person
A Radiant spouse is . . . One cleansed by God's Word One of Godly character One of mature judgment One with no spiritual disfigurement One with the "glow of God" upon her countenance How to make your spouse radiant in the Lord's eyes 1. Allow God to cleanse your spouse by His Word Establish a time to read the Bible to your family. Encourage them to work on projects with their hands to reduce uneasiness and fidgeting. It will help them be more attentive and interested. The cleansing value or the Word is emphasized over and over in scripture. John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 2. Consistently praise your wife for Godly character. Praise will motivate to more godliness. Flattery will cause to stumble. Praise calls attention to character Flattery calls attention to qualities physical features Praise motivates to concentration on Flattery motivates to have pride inward godliness in physical features Praise is telling how their character Flattery is usually an indication is benefiting your life that the one who gives it has wrong motives How to praise your spouse. Praise is based on character. Learn many character traits. Take each one and think of a specific way your spouse has demonstrated it. Tell them.i.e. Compassion - Courtesy - Dependability - Determination - Discretion - Faith - Gentleness - Generosity - Neatness - Patience - Self-control - Thriftiness 3. Help your spouse remove their secret fears. Many wives have deep fears and emotions they have never shared with their husbands for several reasons. 1. They feel guilty for having the fears and emotions. 2. They hope the fears and emotions will go away. 3. They fear rejection from you. 4. They desire to reduce your burdens. 5. They assume you will not have the answers. (And they may be right, but they need your shoulder more than your mouth.) It is your duty to lovingly and patiently assist her in identifying and verbalizing her fears and in gaining wisdom from God in resolving them. What steps can you take to remove your wife's fears 1. Be aware of the fears she may have growing old - losing her looks - loss of health - losing you - failing as a wife and mother - etc. 2. Ask her how she really feels about these issues and really listen. 3. Ask God for wisdom in resolving it. What scriptures? - What can she do? - What can you do? 4. Communicate love through good manners One of the basic needs of a wife is to know that you cherish her and that you are thinking about her. Your awareness of her presence is her assurance of your love and protection. It tells her how much a part of your life she really is. One way you show her this is by using good manners with her. You would do it for a stranger. Why not her? If you don't, she will feel taken for granted. If you treat her like a queen one day and neglect basic manners the next, she will feel insecure and resist your attention in order not to get hurt.i.e. Help her with her coat - open doors for her - lift heavy thing for her - pick up after yourself - be on time - tell her your schedule - refrain from course language, criticism, etc. - attend to personal cleanliness, neatness, grooming (even when it's just her) 5. Build trust by being a one-woman man or a one-man woman. A wife feels secure in her marriage when she knows she has a permanent place in the heart of her husband. So does a man. If your spouse sees you delighting in the friendship or company of another person of the opposite sex, he or she will experience feelings of jealousy, envy, insecurity, resentment, and self-rejection. If a person fears that their spouse will divorce them, those fears may cause them to take actions which will damage the spirit of their marriage. A husband or wife can help by assuring the spouse regularly that they are #1 and they will always be true.. 6. Encourage your spouse to seek fulfillment through God-given responsibilities. One can only find their true identity and fulfillment by completing the functions for which they were created by God. You can help their spouse by praising these qualities and duties and esteeming them as most valuable. Tips On Building Your Marriage Relationship 1. Keep talking Ec 9:9 Rejoice with the wife of thy youth... Amos 3:3 Can two walk together except they be agreed? ...and keep listening. 2. Keep encouraging each other 3. Keep having fun Prov 5:18-19 4. Control the conflict Learn to fight fair. Identify what areas cause conflict and work on them. Settle them or avoid them. 5. Stay on the same team. Don't become enemies. Divorce Proofing - 1 Corinthians 13 - Never use the word divorce (Proverbs 18:21) -Intense disagreements don't mean the marriage is in trouble -Don't drop the bomb (that trigger you know will set the other off) -Don't make mate brunt of public jokes -Practice sincere, frequent compliments (Proverbs 25:11) -Give each other some space-don't smother (possessive) -Say "I'm sorry" and "I forgive" -Never shut each other out (rule your spirit) -In conflict, don't use 3rd party for solace (other than professional counselors). Be careful who you confide in. Pray. -When at work, give it all you've got. When you're off, take off. 5 Differences between men & women Men Women 1. facts - feelings, emotions 2. solution -sympathy 3. objective -personal 4. separates who we are -everything becomes a part of her from our surroundings (takes things more personally) 5. generalize -detailed
Study Guide For "What The Bible Is All About"
by Henrietta Mears
Chapter 15 - Understanding Job
1. 2. The key word in the book of Job is ____________. 3. Job declared that he would come forth as __________. 4. Trials and suffering are for our ____________ and ___________. 5. Job is one of the _____________ books in the Bible. 6. What is the great question of the book of Job? ________________ _______________ 7. God could trust Job to ___________________________________. 8. Who finally answers the question of suffering? _______________ 9. What are some of God’s reasons for allowing suffering? To show _______________, to work ____________, to bring out _____________, and to reveal ________________. 9. What is the great statement of Job 13:15? 10. Chastening is sometimes for ______________ and ______________. 11. Job is a commentary on what verses? __________________________ _______________________________________. Look them up! 12. What was Job’s attitude toward God? __________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 13. Why did God allow Job to be chastened? _______________________ 14. God does not give us gifts just to ____________________. 15. What completed the work in Job? _____________________________ 16. What is Job’s great definitive statement of faith? _________________ 17. The Bible depicts Satan as an ‘angel of light’. Where do we get our ugly picture of Satan? _______________________________________ 18. Though Satan is powerful, his power is limited by what? ___________ _____________________________________________________________ 19. There is a ______________ and a ___________ to everything God allows. 20. When we bow to God’s ______________, we find God’s ___________. 21. There is only one place to learn God’s lessons – on your _____ with your _________. 22. The godly are allowed to suffer so they may _____________________. 23. What was Job’s hidden sin? _________________________ 24. What always follows a night of sorrow? ___________ Cite a scripture verse. _______ 25. Job found _________ in his trouble.