Saturday, September 16, 2006

Spiritually Single

I just read an article on Lisa Whelchel's website and I'm wondering what you (general reader) think of it. Do you agree with what she says here? Here is a link to the original article as well as the article itself.

Spiritually Single

My husband isn’t a Christian, so I struggle with raising
our children to be believers by myself. While my husband doesn’t prevent us from going to church, my kids wonder why he doesn’t go with us and why we disagree on some parenting issues. How can I parent in a way that respects their dad yet honors the Lord?

Common sense tells us we should submit to our husband only if he’s submitted to God. There’s one major roadblock to this, however: God’s Word isn’t common, and it doesn’t always make sense! Case in point—1 Peter 3:1 says, Wives, fit in with your husbands’ plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words” (TLB).

You may be thinking, What? I’m supposed to follow my husband even if he isn’t following God? There’s no telling where we’ll end up! Besides, my children’s spiritual well being is too important to risk. But that’s where trust comes in. Even if you’re unable to trust your husband, you’re still called to trust God.

Are you willing to submit to your husband’s authority as head of your home and then trust God to take care of your kids? Can you keep from nagging or disparaging remarks when you walk out the door without your husband on Sunday mornings?

By respecting their dad, you’ll honor the Lord. And by modeling obedience to God’s Word, you’ll accomplish your primary goal of training your children to be believers. (And they may not be the only ones who come to believe because of your quiet faith.)



Tell me what you think.

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