 We all do a lot of makeshifting around the house. You know, using things for other than there intended purpose. Everyone knows that a woman's best friend is a roll of duct tape! You can do just about any household maintanence with it. Screwdrivers become hammers! Butterknives become screwdrivers! Now these things may work well, for a time, but they are stresssed. They are not actually operating in their assigned purpose and really won't hold up for ever. The duct tape will eventually come loose. The screwdriver handle will eventually split. And the butter knife will become stripped, and good for nothing. Nothing, that is, except spreading butter. But then that was it's intention. That is when the butter knife is in it's "glory", so to speak.
Now we all have a purpose and that is, to "know" HIM. Philippians 3:11 says that I may know Him, and the power of HIS resurrection and fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to HIS death. Well that is a mouthful now isn't it! And when ever you see a sentence start with the word "that", well you better go up and read a few verses. Like verses 7-9 in the same chapter. 7: But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8, More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. 9, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know HIM.... Paul is telling us that everything,, every "thing" .. he counts as nothing compared to his relationship with the Lord. And we must get to that place...where we can count all things as nothing, compared to our relationship with the Lord. Then we may KNOW HIM. and find our purpose. And if you do not KNOW HIM.. you will not be able to operate in the position God intended a you to operate in. You will miss your assignment.
Now apply this principle to the assignment of a wife. The Lord has a purpose for her. Her assignment. And when she operates in that purpose, well, let's just say, the stress factor plummets! And when she doesn't, well, most women... (and the men around them), know that it isn't a pretty picture!!
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The Lord said "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." ( NIV genesis 2:18)". Hmmmmmm. Let me see if I got this right. God made man for woman...to woooo her, to take care of her, to buy her diamonds.. NOPE! I didn't think it said that! I think that the purpose of a woman got twisted way back somewhere in time. I am not sure where. God said He was making a help meet for the man. Yes, roll your eyes if you must. But that is what it says. For him. To complete him. To be the parts he is not. To add to him. Not be against him. We are to be his cheering section. His encourager. The one with the towel when he needs the sweat wiped off his brow. The one to rub his back after a hard day at work. Not one to jump him the minute he walks in the door and tell him how bad our day was. Let us look at a few verses in Proverbs 31 for a better description of what she is to be.
Proverbs 31:10 says "A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies". WOW..... now that speaks volumes. What is a noble character? One filled with truth. Honesty. Dignity. The power of God is in her life. She dies daily to herself... No wonder she is so hard to find. And no wonder she is worth more than rubies. She is rare indeed. Verse 11: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. He does not have to worry about her. He knows she can handle things. . Whoa!!! He doesn't have to worry about her... He knows she can handle things. And why can she handle things? Because she knows her purpose. And she knows HIM. The best wife is one who is in the WORD.. not the WORLD!!! Now let us look further at the virtuous woman. Verse 12 says "She brings him good, not harm all the days of his life." Well.. how many of us wives can say that about ourselves. Very eye opening I would say. She does not back stab him or gossip about him to her friends and family. Make snide, sarcastic remarks and jokes at his expense. You may be amazed at how much this is taken for granted as normal woman chatter. It is damaging to her husband, and to herself. He will not trust her if she is like this. She is the one who loses.
She brings him good. She is respected. And he as well. No one has cause to whisper behind his back of his wife. Notice the last part of this verse, "all the days of his life".... His life... it is his life. We, ladies, are an "addition" to his life! So, you can go on about your business, doing it your way, wondering what happened to your marriage.. or you can do it God's way, and be in HIS mighty will. Amen!! 
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