10 Ways to Do Him Good

I love Proverbs 31:12, "She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." I have been reminded many times that "all the days of her life" includes right now, even before I've become his wife, even before I've met him. A couple days ago, I was thinking of 10 ways to do him good, right now. Although it certainly isn't a complete list, I hope it will be an encouragement to you, whatever season of life God has you in.

1. Pray for him.

What if he knew, right now, that I pray for him every single day? Prayer is so important, and it's the most powerful way I can be a part of his life right now.

2. Encourage and build up those around me.

Specifically, my siblings. We're with each other day in and day out. I usually just go through the day without purposefully encouraging them. It would be a huge blessing to them if I would just take a little time to look for a way I can encourage them and intentionally build them up. I want to be a wife who is a great encourager to her husband. And God certainly has not left me without people to practice that with right now.

3. Submit joyfully to my authority.

Like my parents. If I obey and honor them with a happy heart, that attitude will most likely carry into my marriage. What a blessing that will be to my future husband! A wife who eagerly submits to the authority God has placed over her. Not grudgingly, but joyfully!

4. Memorize Scripture.

Taking the time to invest in memorizing His Word will not be something I regret! It is important to know the Bible--and know it well. Memorizing it will bless me now and for the rest of my life.

5. Tell people about my Savior.

I have the greatest news on earth, and I am commanded to share it with those who are lost in their sin. Whether it's a stranger, or someone I've known my whole life, I have the honor of being used by God to plant seeds in their lives. I am not the one who saves souls, God gives the increase. But that certainly doesn't mean I don't have a responsibility to tell people about Christ.

6. Don't be afraid to give up what's easy in order to do something hard.

I've heard someone say that "not everything that's hard is good, but just about everything that's good is hard." It's true. And I shouldn't be afraid to leave my comfort zone and forsake what is easy in order to do hard things when it's right and Biblical. Another thought on this, is that I must not be living for myself right now (which is easy to do), and instead, be dying to myself (which is hard). If I'm in the habit of denying myself now (although imperfectly, for sure), then I will be in the habit of denying myself when I'm married, too.

7. Be diligent.

Who wants a lazy wife? I know that I don't want a lazy husband! I also don't want to marry a man who is busy all the time with earthly things that are just fading away. (That's actually laziness, too.) I must be purposeful in the way I spend my time, forsaking laziness and wasteful living, and pursuing what pleases the Lord and what matters for eternity.

8. Read the Word of God.

In order to know God's Word, I must read it. Knowing God's Word blesses me, and also those around me, when I live out what I know. It doesn't really matter knowing what the Bible says, if I ignore it. But I can't live Biblically unless I know what the Bible says. God's Word tells me everything I need to know about living for His glory, and I want to search His Word as a miner digs for gold, relentlessly seeking to know Him more and walk in His ways.

9. Think purely.

It would be discouraging if I knew that my future husband right now, was dreaming constantly of another girl. Just as I hope he strives to think purely, so should I. By God's grace, I must put to death the thoughts that are unholy. I should surrender my thought life to the Lord and be careful to think on what is pleasing to Him. I want to be thinking of excellent things (Philippians 4:8); I want to be stayed (Isaiah 26:3).

10. Be gentle.

I want to speak with kindness. I want to be gracious. I don't desire weakness, but a gentle strength. I want to be the kind of person who isn't fighting for the attention of man. What I long for is that people would look right past me and see my Savior.


So, there are 10 things. I have so much room to grow! Which is exciting to me, because that means God isn't done working on me yet. =)

Living Purposefully

I woke up this morning and wondered what my day would hold. I didn't have many plans yet, and I was excited when I thought of all the things I could do. But I was also unsure, worried that I would waste this day. Will I be diligent? Or will I give in to laziness?

I know my tendency, to choose what is easiest over what is best. I can't live the way that I'm called to live in my own strength. I pray fervently, that I will serve the Lord (and not myself) moment by moment, in dependence on Him.

And I don't want to just live each day in order to finish it. I want to live it well, with a purpose. I see how precious time is, how quickly it's speeding by. I watch the seconds tick away, knowing they will never return to be lived again. I have one life. My days are numbered. Could this day be my last? Am I living like it is? Because one day, it will be.

Learning to Trust Him

Learning to trust Him when you don't know the reasons, when you don't understand why.

Learning to trust Him when something seems inconvenient, when it doesn't seem necessary.

Learning to trust Him when your earthly life seems short, and you cannot grasp eternity.

Learning to trust Him when life is so sweet, and you want to depend on Him through the easy times, too.

Learning to trust Him when He is pruning you, and even though it's difficult, you know that He is doing it for your good.

Living by Grace

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; 

Before you were born I sanctified you;

I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

Then said I:

"Ah, Lord GOD!

Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth."

But the LORD said to me:

"Do not say, 'I am a youth,'

For you shall go to all to whom I send you,

And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Do not be afraid of their faces,

For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD.

 Jeremiah 1:4-8

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers 

in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12

We are called to obedience and commanded not to fear. Our youth is not something to be despised or looked down upon. We are to be an example: speaking wisely, living purely, loving sincerely. Our attitudes, actions, and dependence on Christ should be an encouragement to the believers in our lives and spur them on to pursue God more passionately themselves.

I want to live this way. And my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. Honestly, it is by God's grace alone that I grow closer to Him and become a little more like Him. May all the glory be given to Him for the work He does in and through us!

Tasty, Shocking, Beautiful, Exciting, & Unexpected

Tasty: eating homemade peach pie for breakfast.

Shocking: when you're talking with an elderly lady and as you visit, she refers to your younger brother as your son. And you find yourself a little distracted throughout the rest of the conversation thinking, "Did that just happen? I thought I looked young!"

Beautiful: watching a gorgeous bride beam on her wedding day.

Exciting: receiving a long, hand-written letter in the mail from your dear friend who lives halfway across the country.

Unexpected: when the nine-year-old boy you babysit asks you out of the blue, "So, do you have any plans? Are you gonna get married?"

On Prayer

I want to pray about everything. I want to bring every desire, every choice, every part of my day to Jesus' feet in prayer. I could never pray too much. And He doesn't grow weary, even if I should pray one thousand prayers a day. I want to be in continual fellowship with Him--both in a time of quiet stillness set apart for just us, and also during the chaotic and noisy moments of the day.

What a privilege it is to pray! We can pray at any time and any place. It is so encouraging to see God use prayer to strengthen our dependence on Him and draw us nearer to Him. There is nothing sweeter than having a close relationship with the Lord.

Because He Is Trustworthy

Trusting the Lord is a constant theme in my life. Sometimes it's difficult to trust Him, but what is more important?

And I wonder why it is so hard, when He has never failed me? Why would I doubt His goodness? He has been faithful from eternity past, and that faithfulness is not about to end.

His plans are much better than my own. His pruning in my life is for my good. His timing is flawless. His grace is measureless.

I need to remember that I don't see the whole picture, but my Heavenly Father does. I may not understand everything that is going on right now, but God is completely in control. The same One who is the Author of history loves me far more than anyone on earth does. And so I must cling to that love, and just trust Him.