In every local Christian church I have been a member of, the majority of adults have been women. In every Christian church I have belonged to, most of the faithful workers have been women. To me, this is a problem.
Do I have an issue with the female church members? Not at all. God can and does use both men and women to serve Him.
But I say it’s a problem because God calls the men to be the spiritual leaders in their home. Moreover, the fathers are needed to properly mentor their sons. They in turn must become the spiritual leaders in their own homes when they become adults.
Mothers and wives, you can help out in improving the situation with our men in the church. Peter wrote to wives about this in one of his epistles: “Wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation [lifestyle] of the wives” (1 Peter 3:1, KJV).
The Power of Godliness
Godliness is devoutness and moral uprightness. It denotes a lifestyle that pleases God. This point is not without significance. The Pharisees were deeply religious. But to say that their piety displeased God is and understatement. The verse above reflects the power of a godly woman. Let us quickly look at several important points in the verse above.
- First of all, this verse speaks specifically to women who are married to men who are not followers of Christ. This is not unusual in the church of today. In fact, this reality is one reason why many if not most local churches have considerably more females than male congregants. Far too often, Mom brings the children to church on Sunday while Dad chooses to do otherwise.
- Secondly, this verse says that husbands who are not being won by the Word of God may be won by the godly conduct of their wives. Wives, constantly preaching to your unsaved husband is not the best approach to getting him saved. This biblical strategy Peter shares is for a godly woman winning her man “without the word.”
- Thirdly, the woman is called to be in subjection to her own husband, even if he is not subject to the Word. Wives, if you display a sense of superiority because you are saved and your husband is not, your doing so will not advance your cause. Remember, the power you are being called on to leverage here is that of a godly woman.
Every Christian woman who is married should want her husband to know the Lord. Some men, however, will not be won through merely hearing the gospel. What they need is to see the gospel lived out in the home each day. This speaks to the power of godliness.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.