I’ll begin this post with a seemingly obvious confession:
I’m no artist.
My husband is though, and a stellar one at that, but those genes seemed to have bounced right over me. Perhaps because I’m not, it was fairly easy to post the above picture of my weak attempt at chalkboard art. Not because I don’t care. I do, in fact, but my goal in sharing it with you is not to peak your interest in what might come next from this aspiring creative, but rather to take a look at the words in the picture.
Dinner
Is
Served.
My husband recently bought me this chalkboard wall art frame, and he has been writing me super sweet messages on it almost daily, to which I wanted to respond with one of my own. Knowing my art would pale in comparison to his, I still took the plunge. Why? Because thoughtfulness matters to him.
That’s where I want to launch from today, this idea of serving your spouse. Culture has done a poor job at best of defining what our role should be as wives, so thankfully we have the infallible text of God’s Word to refer to when such questions arise:
“How do I best love and serve my husband?”
If that question nearly made you fall off your rocker, well, that’s another blog post for another day. As women who are trying to follow Jesus Christ, our desire should be to love and serve our husbands well, and if you’re not married, your goal should be to become more like Jesus every day. Still, both women, married and single alike, should find themselves striving to be a loving servant. Why? Because Jesus was a loving servant.
I have another confession to make. I’m not great in the kitchen. I know, a lot of ladies say that, but of me this is unfortunately very true. I want to be, but again I have been blessed in the fact that my husband is an incredible cook. Still, having a meal ready for him when he walks in the door is something that is important to me and makes him feel loved. So, I try. I also fail frequently, but I do try.
The conviction that the Lord has been stirring within me as of late is not to become a gourmet cook or a dynamic housewife. Rather, it is to be a servant to my husband. To be a servant is to be like Jesus, and servanthood is what He has called us to. What better platform to practice service than in our own homes and with our husbands? I’m not suggesting that the only way to the “Wife of the Year” award is through cooking and cleaning, but I will submit to you today on the authority of God’s Word that having a heart of a servant matters to the Lord. He esteems it. Therefore, so should we. And for me, today, that meant serving my husband a hot meal with a cheesy sign.
What does it look like for you, today, in your life, in your home, in your marriage, at your work, with your kids, with your friends? Are you seeking to be a servant first and to be served second? Or do you have the two switched around?
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
I love your chalkboard Cherie. I’m not much of a cook either, nor can I draw! : ) But, I do love to ‘set the table pretty’ and serve take out. haha And, I love me some good conversation. : )
Your words today: “Seeking to be a servant first” is the prayer of my heart. I do need God’s grace to carry it out tho, cuz it does not take long for “me” to want my fair share. I think I can honestly say, it is where the praying without ceasing comes into the picture. The only way we can grow to serve from our heart is to ask God to give us more of Jesus. Yep, indeed we need Him every hour, every day! It is easier serving those we love, but aaahh those pesky individuals take some extra grace.
So, as I ponder how I can serve first what comes to my mind is a picture of Jesus in Luke 2:46 NIV:
“After three days they found him [Jesus] in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”
My current situation has me taking care of elderly in our “clan.” It is easy to get caught up in the multi-tasking, and not really listen as the same stories are repeated, time and time again. When I read this verse recently I became very aware of a golden nugget, a hidden secret, right there at the end of the verse. If we are really listening to the other person, then our mind will respond quickly with questions. Questions that will help us to understand the person we are with. Questions that will help us to appreciate the journey they are on right now. Questions bring further knowledge and understanding to those of us who are willing to listen with an intent to know the person deeper.
So, today how can we love and serve our husbands? Listen to them and ask questions. It truly helps us to pay attention to what they are saying. It keeps our mind from wondering. It shows we are interested in what they have to say. It grows our relationship deeper. It is how we can serve first.
Cherie I love this and I hope that the ladies reading this will ponder this question. I ponder it in my marriage, wanting to serve my husband and make life more pleasant for him. There are times I will ask him if there is anything I can do for him or if he needs help with something. He always seems to appreciate it! As I write this and it causes me to notice that he in turn will do little things for me without me asking. Like last night, we had something to attend at our son’s school, he ended up cleaning up most of the dinner dishes! I was so appreciative and made a big deal about it. This of course is not the reason to serve, but it is amazing what an example we set for those around us. It is my heart’s cry to become more of a servant with a quiet gentle spirit. Thank you for writing about it!