Studying...Created to be His Help Meet

We are studying the book by Debi Pearl, Created to be His Help Meet. Through our study of this book, we are going to learn what it means to be a help meet and actually living the role that God created us as women to fill. I've read this book once before and applied many of the things that Mrs. Pearl spoke of, and it has transformed an already good marriage into nothing short of awesome!! I encourage you to purchase this book and follow along or at the very least, check out the Pearl's website at http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/
Any text taken directly from Mrs. Pearl's book will be highlighted in blue.

I realize that in studying Created to be His Help Meet at the rate of one chapter per week, we will be doing this study for approximately 24 weeks. We could go at this at a much faster rate, but I believe that if we truly want to change and fill our God given rolls as help meet to our husbands, then we need to take things slower and put into practice what we are learning. I hope you agree and stay the course with me as we become better help meets together.

Part 1: The Help Meet

Chapter 13: The Great Mystery (Part one)

Have you ever thought about your relationship with your husband in comparison to the Church's relationship to Christ? The Church is to be obedient, reverent and submissive to Christ. Think about these requirements and think about putting them into action as wives toward our husbands.

Mrs Pearl defines each for us:

1. Obedience: doing what you know the other person wants you to do.

2. Submission: your heart giving over to the other person's will

3. Reverence: more than just doing what a man expects or demands. It is an act of the woman's will to treat him with a high degree of regard and awe.

She reminds us that all of these are acts of the will, not something that comes naturally or easily. Willing yourself to do something requires discipline on your part.

She shares with us a letter from a woman who was married to a man who frequented strip clubs and prostitutes. She really wanted a divorce and everyone she met agreed that she should get one except for one couple. This couple shared with her what God's love truly is. She decided to honor God so she stayed with her husband. She shared that it wasn't easy in the beginning and she did cry and complain a lot. But as God's love is working through her and her husband is making progress. She states that there are days when she'd still love to "wring his neck" , but she is believing God and His promises.

Mrs. Pearl tells us that this "creep of a husband is the fortunate recipient of honor being given to God." Even if this man never comes to the saving knowledge of Christ, this wife will be rewarded for her obedience to God through her husband.

Mrs. Pearl asks us to reflect on our thoughts about our husbands. How many times in a day are our thoughts negative? If he forgot to take out the trash or pick up his dirty socks, do we go over that again and again in our mind, tearing down our husbands and building up a pretty mean attitude within ourselves? Remember if we focus on the negatives, we will spew negative out of our mouths.

He forgot the trash? Instead of being negative, just take it out yourself and while you're doing that change the focus from the fact that he didn't take it out to he deserves to rest after a hard day of working a job that supports his family.

Didn't pick up those socks? Pick them up and thank God for the precious feet that hold up the man that goes to work everyday and supports his family.

See? Just a simple change in your attitude will totally turn the situation around.

Next week: The Great Mystery (Part two)