Author: teachwhatisgood

Today was “International Women’s Day.” I disagree with many of the ultra-feminist goals of this day, but I certainly am thankful for my life as a woman and wish for other women around the world to enjoy such joy.

I would not be the woman I am today were it not for numerous graces for which I give thanks.

• I am thankful for the wonderful education I received from childhood into adulthood.
• I am thankful for the freedom I enjoy in America to receive such an education.
• I am thankful for a quick mind, a gift from God, that allows me to remember and understand even a portion of all this information I have received.
• I am thankful for a strong and able body, another gift from God, that has allowed me many pain-free years.
• I am thankful for the gifts of sight, speech, and hearing, treasures that not everyone enjoys here on earth.
• I am thankful for hard working parents who loved me and modeled life well for me.
• I am thankful for a husband who works diligently to provide for us, so I can tend to the needs of our household.
• I am thankful for the gift of motherhood. I wouldn’t be half the woman I am today without each of my children – those with me on earth and those who have preceded me to heaven.
• I am thankful for all my sisters whether by marriage, by blood, or by faith, who have poured into me and encouraged me.

Proverbs 31 is a song of encouragement from a mother to her son on the value of a wife. Each of us should aspire to such diligent service to our husband, children and community, but ultimately to God, the giver of every good gift.

Many thanks to God, and to all the men and women, who have shaped me to be who I am today. May we have hearts full of thanksgiving, as we speak and serve with the grace God has given to us.

Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.

She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.

She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.

She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.

She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.

She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.

Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

1. We don’t really believe it.

If you thought the good news may not be true, you wouldn’t tell others, right? You’d wait until you’d taken two, or maybe even three, pregnancy tests before you went telling all your friends that you’re pregnant or posting about it on Facebook. You may even wait until you’re 12 or 20 weeks along before you tell anybody, so you don’t have to explain if you don’t deliver a healthy baby within the year. We like to be really sure before we tell others our good news.

2. We don’t really think the news is all that great.

Who cares that your daughter got a scholarship – it’s only a local community college. So what that your kid made the varsity team – it’s just high school football. If you think your good news isn’t really all that amazing, you may not be compelled to tell some else, except maybe your husband, your mom and your very best friend.

3. Our friends and family won’t be happy or supportive.

Maybe you’re super excited about a new job your husband got on the other side of the world, but your family may not be so happy, right? If the hearer isn’t going to be overjoyed about our good news, then we may not want to tell them about it.

4. We may be ashamed to tell other people, either because it feels like bragging, or because they may disagree with you.

If your son scored a perfect score on the ACT, you may be embarrassed to tell anyone for fear they’ll call you boastful. Or if your 18-year-old is getting married straight out high school, you may be embarrassed to tell everybody, because you’re worried about people’s negative comments.

5. We may not feel like we have the right words to express our good news.

In a generation of Pinterest, YouTube, Amazon, Facebook and Google, we can feel inadequate in how we communicate our good news. Our baby announcement or gender reveal may not be as well done as our friend’s, so we just don’t do it at all!

Just like these stumbling blocks to sharing our every life good news, these same five things can stand in the way of you sharing the good news about our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Try asking yourself these questions:

1. Do I really believe in the good news of Jesus, the Savior?

2. Do I recognize the incredible, unmerited blessing of this gift?

3. Am I letting someone else’s lack of excitement stand in the way of sharing?

4. Am I letting fear of someone else’s reaction prevent me from sharing this hope with my community and loved ones?

5. Am I prepared to share this good news any time, any where, with humility rather than waiting until I have all the right words prepared?

Would you like to hear some good news?

What would good news sound like to you?

• The guy you’ve been dreaming about asked you out on a date.
• The man you’re crazy in love with, and been dating for two years, asked you to get married.
• You’re pregnant.
• You got a raise.
• Your husband got a raise.
• Your son made the varsity team.
• Your daughter got a full-ride scholarship to college.
• Your son is getting married.
• Your daughter is pregnant!

When I’ve received some amazing piece of good news, I can’t wait to tell my friends and family. I love to share my good news with them – through a phone call, a text, a Facebook post or even a hand-written letter!

For as joyous as all this news is, it doesn’t even compare to this news, “Unto you is born this day, in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

So, I wonder, why are we not as eager to share this good news? Food for thought.

I’d love to help you. Send me a message or leave a comment below.

Have you ever played the game called “Would You Rather?” We owned this board game several years ago, but I decided I would rather not own it.

Today while reading Matthew 18, God presented me with several thought-provoking “Would you rather” questions.

Would you rather enter life crippled or lame … or be thrown into eternal fire with both hands and feet?

Would you rather enter life with one eye … or be thrown into the hell of fire with two eyes?

These two questions led me to search the scriptures for other “would you rather” questions.

• Would you rather go to a house of mourning … or go to a house of feasting? (Ecclesiastes 7:2)
• Would you rather hear the rebuke of the wise … or hear the song of fools? (Ecclesiastes 7:5)
• Would you rather suffer for doing good … or would you rather do evil? (1 Peter 3:17)

To be totally honest, God really isn’t asking me these questions. God is telling me the answers. Every time God tells me: “It is better.” It is better. It. Is. Better.

It is better to go to the house of mourning – even if I’d rather go to the house of feasting.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise even if I’d rather hear the song of fools.

It is better to suffer for doing good even if I would rather do evil.

Here’s a few more:

• It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8.
• It is better to have a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. Proverbs 16:19
• It is better to live in the corner of a house, or in a desert land, than to share a house with a quarrelsome or fretful woman. Proverbs 21:9, 19

God tells me that it is better to enter life with my hand or foot cut off than to be thrown into the eternal fire with both hands and feet. God tells me that it is better to enter life with one eye than to be thrown into the hell of fire with both eyes.

Do I believe Him? Or am I still playing my own game of “Would I Rather?” Maybe I need to quit playing this game of “Would you rather” and start listening to what God says is better.

• Would I rather waste my life with Facebook … or have genuine relationships with my friends and family?
• Would I rather face ridicule for telling someone about Jesus … or hide my light under a bushel?
• Would I rather pray before dinner at a restaurant and risk making someone uncomfortable … or be ashamed of my faith in Jesus?

What “would you rather” questions are you facing today?

What does God say is better?

For all the glorious beauty of a wedding day and a bride dressed in white, it does not even compare to the coming glory of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Do you have your wedding clothes? Are you dressed in the spotless garments that only the great sacrificial lamb can give?

“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”– for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)

Would you like to know more about how to receive your wedding clothes? You can’t earn them. They have already been earned. You have only to receive them, a gift from the spotless Lamb.

We are His body – His hands, feet and mouths.
He is the head.

We are a royal priesthood.
He is the great high priest.

We are living stones.
He is the cornerstone.

He is the great I am.
I am who I am because of who He is and what He has done.