A Good Thing

…a word of encouragement to my fellow pastor’s wives…

He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22 NIV)

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:14 NIV)

Are you a good thing for your husband? God says you are. I must admit, there have been days when I have felt my husband’s life and ministry would be better off without me, though he always insists he could not do what he does without me at his side.

This summer we were window shopping at a tourist boardwalk and noticed a souvenir store selling t-shirts that advertised everything from beaches to beverages. One shirt even had a picture of Jesus dressed up like a hockey goalie that said “Jesus Saves”. But the one that really caught my eye was a picture of a bride and groom with the phrase “THE END” boldly written across the bottom. It made my heart sink to think that many in our society have stooped to call something ‘bad’ that God has intended to be so good.

A little later this summer we spent a day with some old friends whom we hadn’t seen in a number of years. As we visited, I rejoiced to see how this couple had grown deeper in their walk with God and so strong in their love and commitment to each other through a battle with breast cancer, financial devastation, a cross country move and difficult interpersonal struggles in the workplace. But what really caught my attention was his t-shirt. Want to know what this husband’s t-shirt said? Simply “I love my wife”. He said he can’t believe the number of people who ask him what the back says or try to nonchalantly peer around him to see what the punch line is.

Everyone wants to know “what’s the catch?”

Scripture says “he who finds a wife finds what is good”. There is no catch. There is no qualifier that says he who finds a wife who can play the piano or lead a women’s ministry or cook a scrumptious meal and entertain twenty people on a moment’s notice finds a good thing. You are a good thing for your husband simply by being his wife. And you don’t even have to be adept at those things to be a doubly good, extra special blessing to your husband and his ministry. Instead, as always, God’s word focusses on our hearts and affections as it sings the praises of a prudent or wise wife. And where does wisdom start? With a reverential fear of the Lord.

We are already our “man’s greatest treasure” as one translation puts it.

Let’s prove more valuable than any amount of earthly inheritance as we humble ourselves before the Lord and depend on His Spirit for understanding and discernment in our marriage, our family, and our ministry.

I originally wrote this devotional for a book called “The Hidden Person of the Heart” (Discovering What God Says About and to Women Through the Scriptures)…a year’s worth of daily devotions written by ministers’ wives and gathered by Janet Wicker. It’s a beautiful book to journey through scripture from beginning to end, highlighting every mention of women along the way.