"According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise Master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.
But let one take heed how he builds on it." I Corinthians 3:10. New King y(NKJV).
The above quoted verse are the words of Apostle Paul to saints of the Lord in Corinth as well as every Saint of Christ today everywhere. These words have to do with ministry, ministration and ministers. As a result of this, let us apply its relevance to building a marital relationship as a ministry.
Paul the Apostle saw himself "as a wise master builder". This is by God's grace. Do you know that it is God's favour that procures a wife for a man? Read Proverbs 18:22. In most cases and many cultures, it is the man who initiates relationships. In other cultures where a woman does, it rest on the man to accept or decline a love offer from a young lady. This is by God's grace and a man is the or should be the wise master builder. Otherwise, the outcome will be disastrous.
It is the master builder who lays the foundation. The founday of a building determines a lot about the whole building structure. The stronger the foundation the better and longer lasting will be the structure to be put in place. A building wilth weak foundation will collapse easily and earlier than it can ever be imagined.
A wise master builder will recommend and make use of the best materials. He knows that he is laying a foundation for a life time, "until death part us". So, a wise master builder chooses his materials wisely.
Choosing a quality material is one thing, making use of the right quantity is entirely another thing. Take note that in marital issues, this is not saying acquiring women is laying a good material foundation. However every wife material has certain qualities that can never fail, irrespective of the season of life that emerges -- "... the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." (Matthew 7:5 New King James Version).
So many men in the evening of their lives are now licking their fingers in regrets for their failure to be a wise master builder in their earlier years. What was their mistake? They failed to recognise a wife material among all the ladies that milled around them in their hay days. Many men were, and still are interested in a female's physical features, beauty only, that is not only deceitful but also ephemeral. Proverbs 31:30 reveals:
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
As can be seen from the second part of the quoted verse a wife material is someone who fears the Lord her God. You should know that fearing the Lord is not as apparent as physical beauty. It is an hidden thing of the heart, this will take a little effort to identify in any woman.
What is the fear of the Lord?
Proverbs 16:6c-d defines it thus,
"And by the fear of the Lord one
departs from evil." (NKJV).
Please pay attention to the truth that the starting point of wisdom is to fear the Lord, Proverbs 1:7. To identify a wife material calls for knowing a woman who fears the Lord. A woman who fears Him will obey His commandments. She will not depart from any of His instructions. In all circumstances she will be on the side of the law. She is one of those people who can say like the Psalmist
"Truly my soul silently waits for God
From Him comes my salvation
He is my defence;
I shall not be greatly moved." Psalm 62:1-2. NKJV.
My beloved reader, can you patiently watch and wait for this kind of young woman? It is only such a wife material that can build her home with wisdom. If you choose a right wise material, as a wise master builder, you will have a wise woman who will build with the right materials on the solid foundation you have laid for her by choosing her as a wife material.
On the other hand, if you choose wrong, you will end up with a foolish woman who will pull down you and her own structure down with her own hands. You can confirm this in Proverbs 14:1.
If you are blessed with a wife material, it will be said,
"The heart of her husband safely trusts her.
So he will have no lack of gain." Proverbs 31:11.
Stay blessed and prepared for the imminent coming of the Lord.
The Author is the set man of CTFM(WORLD OUTREACH)and Presiding Pastor of Christ Restland Gospel Church.He is a Poet and author of many books. Visit his blogsites www.4thlink.wordpress.com and www.peacelink.wordpress.com for more quality contents.
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