Six Virtuous Women: Helpers in the Kingdom of God

I asked Gayline if I could borrow her blog to celebrate a few women in the church. She didn't know she'd be one of them, or she may have turned me down. But since I now have keyboard in hand, I'm free to go!

All who were present Sunday received a precious gift from the heart of God through the words of a man, Brian Solik. I had 10-15 people say to me things like: "That truth I just heard will leave a permanent mark on my life. I don't think I will ever be the same." I don't believe I have ever heard such a reverent and enthused response to any message preached by anyone in this church. I made sure to thank Brian both publicly and privately. 

But I also made sure to thank someone else: Brian's wife, Donna. I went out of my way to speak to her and to pour out my grateful praise upon her. You see: Brian labored for 25+ hours to prepare that message. Yes you read that right (all the men who preach have to devote anywhere from 15-30 hours in preparation of each sermon meal they set before you each week. That's a lot of mental and spiritual labor gladly offered by these faithful men.

But what does that mean for their wives; for Donna and Debbie and Pat and Brooke and Lisa and Gayline? It means that these dear sisters in Christ and partners in the kingdom are sacrificing 15-30 hours of time with their husbands, of chores that could have been done by their husbands, of time their husbands could have spent helping with the kids or the shopping or the cleaning or doing yard work or simply sitting still in conversation.

These six women regularly sacrifice in this kind of way so their husbands can serve you substantial meals each Sunday. And when you consider that each of these men does double and triple duty in other areas of ministry in the church, the sacrifice made--and that cheerfully--by these women is not to be underestimated or overlooked. 

The fact is that Brian and Donna gave us that meal on Sunday; she no less than he. He would not have been able to preach if she had not freed him to prepare. If Donna had not released him to the study by making sure to handle other areas of life and need, he would never have had the time to serve the way he did.

Sisters: this loving sacrifice by these women is a living model of the Bible's design for marriage. In Genesis 1:26, 27 and Genesis 2:15-18, we see that this is precisely why God created woman and marriage: because the man had been given dominion (i.e.-kingdom of God) work, and he was incapable of accomplishing it alone. He needed help; so God gave it to him in the form of a godly virtuous wife.

This is what Paul means when he says in 1 Corinthians 11:9 that the woman was made for the man, not the reverse. This does not mean that the woman was made for the man's personal ego or happiness; it means that the woman was given to man to help the man accomplish his God-given kingdom roles.

That is exactly what these six virtuous women do week after week. And that is what every wife should set as her primary goal in marriage: to discover what her husband's primary kingdom roles and goals are and to commit herself to releasing and empowering him to accomplish them with her at his side. 

Likewise Christian women who are unmarried should grasp the goals of their spiritual leaders and stand alongside of them in any way they can to help them reach for that kingdom vision given to them by God.

This is a high and holy calling. Without it the work of the kingdom would never get done. Sermons would not be preached. Counseling would not be done. Sinners would not be saved. The poor would not be cared for. The world would not be reached. Children would not be served. Nothing good would ever happen.

This is God's design for marriage and church. Thank you Donna, Brooke, Debbie, Pat, Lisa, and Gayline. You serve us just as much as your husbands do, even though you often cannot be seen. May this post help others to see and thank and imitate you more.

A grateful pastor.

Tim S.