“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

The works that God has prepared for you to do include not only what you do in your relationship with your husband, but also your heart’s motive or attitude.  It will help you to have the right attitude if you focus on what you are supposed to be doing, not on what your husband is supposed to be doing.  Certainly, it is easy to get caught up in seeing whether other people (especially your husband) are doing their jobs right.  However, the issue for the Christian wife is “Am I doing the good works that God intended for me?” 

Sometimes being a wife can seem like a vague role leaving us a little confused about what we should be, merely trying to do our best.  I was so encouraged by this quote because Martha Peace shows us that God has a specific purpose for us as wives and specific works for us to do.  That is exciting!

The main thing that stood out to me from this excerpt is that I need to take responsibility for my obedience to the Lord.  There is a huge temptation to look at others–spouse, children, parents, siblings, and friends–and be their personal obedience police.  It is not up to us to make sure that they are doing what God calls them to do.  There is definitely a place for accountability and coming alongside others to help them walk in obedience to the Lord, but I need to make sure that my heart is in the right place walking in the works that God has prepared for me to do.

What are some of those good works?  Proverbs 31 describes these twenty traits of the excellent wife, that show us some of the good works that she does–

Good to her husband
Of exceptional worth
Respectful to her husband
Trusted
Kind
Fears the Lord
Blessed by her children
Careful
Praised
Not afraid
Worker with hands
Wise
Generous
Good to her husband

This is just a brief look at some of the good works that God wants us to walk in.  I defeinitely want to be growing into the wife that God wants me to be and this book has been instrumental in helping to spark action in that pursuit.  I hope this quote from The Excellent Wife has been a motivation to you today too!