“Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” 1 Peter 3:1-2
“As a wife you have tremendous influence over your husband. Use your influence to draw him closer to you and to your God.” Jolene Engle, Wives of the Bible
- It’s time to quiet your mind and ask the Holy Spirit into your space. Pray that God will open your heart and your eyes to see what He has in store for you and your family during this Easter season.
- Read 1 Peter 3:1-6 and write verses 1 and 2 in your journal.
Mama, you have a position of great influence in your home. Your kids look to your example to show them how to live a godly life with Jesus at the wheel. In our home, I have loved using holidays to teach my kids about Jesus.
During Lent and Advent we dive into a family devotional together. I find myself typically leading this devotional time with my children, and my attitude and behaviors during this time are felt by my children. If I’m excited, they’ll definitely be more excited. During Easter time, we typically use Resurrection Eggs and Help Club’s Easter Banner to draw us near to the Lord, (my kids love doing the coloring activities and searching for hidden eggs). Do you know though, that not only do we influence our children, but we also influence our husbands!
How is your husband’s faith? I know this is a loaded question, with answers that will probably fall all across the spectrum, but this is the point I want to focus on! I love the first two verses in 1 Peter 3: “they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” This hit me square in the head, right between the eyes!
My husband is a godly man, a believer in Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean he always obeys the Word of God. He has struggles just like the rest of us. As sinners, we all have our own issues we need to work through. Just because someone is a believer in Jesus does not guarantee they will know how to disciple their family or have the desire to do so! That’s where this verse from above becomes a challenging reality. God equips us, as wives, to stand in the gap for our husbands and point them to Jesus! It’s through this godly submission—showing respect and honor towards our
husbands—along with living upright and morally straight lives, that we wives can model our faith to our families. That’s when we are made more into the likeness of Christ and our influence rubs off on everyone!
Now, I’d like to point out that the Bible does not say through nagging and constant reminding the wife won over her husband—no, instead through purity and reverence! Going back to 1 Peter 3, Paul goes on to comment about wives’ beauty in verse 4, “Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” It is in this way, of beauty and gentleness, that God will work on our husbands’ hearts and faith. Wow! Does this simplicity blow your mind? Sisters, we do not have to badger our men to lead and disciple, just as we don’t need to badger our children to grow in their faith. God is at work in their hearts, especially
when we persevere in prayer and ask the Lord to keep ‘using’ us.
Those that know me, know that this is no easy feat. I am passionate about things related to my kids, and I feel there is always a right way to do things, which I like to remind my husband of, in maybe not so gentle ways…Oh, how God is convicting me through these verses!
If your husband leads your family devotional time, let him do it his way! Very importantly—don’t interrupt or correct. When my husband does lead Bible time, it’s easy for my kids to notice differences, but that’s the moment I try to remember to step in and remind them how special it is that Daddy is reading to them and to appreciate his style.
We can’t control the behaviors of those around us, but we can work on how we act, or shall I say react! When we DO speak, we need to ask often to be “…slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19b) and be reminded, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Through our sanctifying and refining journey, every little baby step we take toward becoming more like Jesus blesses our families. We are all a work in progress and this is not meant to make us (wives) feel pressured to live a perfect life. Quite the contrary! I’m encouraging us to walk with grace through this process—grace for our husbands and ourselves, and just simply seek the Lord and share it!
The verses from Exodus 34:29-35 explaining how Moses’ face was shining after his time with the Lord are so powerful: “…his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord” (Exodus 24:29b)! Imagine those near Moses in the moments after he visited with God—how they were influenced by his bright radiating face?! We can be that bright shining light in our homes, displaying God’s goodness, His glory, and His love! We need to seek the Lord’s counsel and share it with our families!
Whatever your husband’s stumbling block may be, know that you, his wife—his helper (Genesis 2:18)—are meant to spur him on, encourage him, and pray for him. Lift up those burdens and trust God to equip you. Continue to live in a righteous way for all to see; your actions will speak volumes! It’s time for our husbands and our children to “catch” something good—let’s make it our faith and make it shine brightly!
Blessings and Love,
Kristall
Questions to Ponder
- Are you living a life according to 1 Peter 3:2, being pure and reverent—a good example to your family? What areas would you like to work on?
- How would you describe your husband’s faith?
- Do you find yourself nagging your husband to lead your family spiritually?
Faith-Filled Ideas
Take some extra time and read 2 Timothy 2:14-26. These verses from Paul will encourage you as you disciple your family and aspire to teach what is true.
Pray that you and your husband will “correctly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15c) and that you both will “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22b).
Next, journal how this may change how you act (rather than react) with your family.
Lastly, if you are leading your children in an Easter devotional, consider sharing it during a time while your husband is home and invite him to be a part of it. Pray that God will place a calling on his heart to lead.
I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom with a working background in graphic design. I am from northern Virginia, and our family moved out to Colorado in late 2013 to be close to family. I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2005 with a BFA degree in Visual Communications and my passion is for design. The Lord has called me to create designs for Him, and therefore, I am so grateful to be a part of the Help Club for Mom's ministry, where I can serve the Lord and connect with fellow moms all at the same time! My favorite verses are from Psalm 139:13-16.
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One Comment on “Contagious Faith of a Christian Wife and Mom”
Great advice 🙂