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. =)
