Girlfriends in God - Feb. 15, 2010
February 15, 2010
No More Nagging
(In honor of Valentine's Day, Sharon's February devotions are focused on marriage.)
Today's Truth
James 5:16 (TNIV) "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
Friend To Friend
There are some verses in the Bible that I wish God had just left out. Here are a few:
- "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping" (Proverbs 19:13).
- "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand" (Proverbs 27:15, 16).
- "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife" (Proverbs 21:19).
- "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife" (Proverbs 25:24).
OK, that's about all I can take right now. When I wrote the book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams, I surveyed and interviewed men about what they longed for in a wife. One thing that men repeatedly mentioned was their aversion to nagging. Drip, drip, drip. Webster defines nagging as to scold or find fault with repeatedly, to cause annoyance by scolding or repetition. Interestingly, a nag is also an inferior or aged horse. The best remedy to cure ourselves from being a nagging wife is to become a praying wife. Jesus invites us to stop nagging our husbands and begin nagging God!
Here's what Jesus had to say:
Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
"Then the one inside answers, `Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Luke 11:5-9).
In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the words ask, seek, and knock are present participle verbs. That means that the more accurate translation would read, ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. God invites us to be persistent in our prayers for our husbands. We can give our worries and cares to God and leave it up to Him to do the rest. "Cast all your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you" (Psalms 55:22). "Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Remember, you don't want to be your husband's mother…you want to be the wife of his dreams.
Let's Pray
Dear Lord, I confess that sometimes I nag my husband … alright, maybe more than sometimes. But Lord, I am determining in my heart to stop nagging my husband and start being consistent and persistent in prayer. My husband is Your workmanship, not mine. Forgive me when I try to yank the paint brush from Your hand and create brushstrokes of my own. I pray that I can be the woman that he needs in order for him to become the man that You desire.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
What do you think a nag sounds like?
Do you ever nag your husband? I know that is a silly question, but answer it any way. Confession is good for the soul J
If there are things that you tend to nag your husband about, try this. Write them down on a piece of paper, turn the list over to God, and then turn off the leaky faucet. Give it a try. You might be surprised!
I'd love to hear how God has used prayer in your marriage. Visit my Facebook page and let's chat. While you're there sign up! www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes
More From The Girlfriends
Nagging just seems to come natural for most of us girls. But God calls us to live super-naturally. For more on how to be the woman of your man's dreams, you'll want your own copy of Sharon's book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For. Visit her website to read an excerpt.
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