It is mine;I must keep it means to retain your possession. It is mine;I must keep it reminds us that our calling by God as Christians as christian women, wives and mothers provides us with numerous gifts and endowments which we must maximize in line with the word of God to his glory and the blessing of the church and stability of our homes and society.
AS CHRISTIAN WOMEN
Without a doubt, God has given every Christian woman strength. As with everything GOD gives us, will them become the stewards of that gift. We also become responsible to use it right and accountable for how we use it.
So take inventory, dear lady of the strength that God has given you. How have you used it? The Lord has clothed you with strength. Whether you feel it, it’s little or great, is not the point. The point is; you will use your strength on something.
You will direct it in some direction, either the right direction or the wrong direction. The first general, but great principle to assure you work in perfect will of God for your life is;” a woman’s gift and endowments should be spent first on her God”; “as they days, so shall they strength be”. declares Deuteronomy 33 vs 25. The Lord will give us enough strength for today.
Use your gifts and endowments on God not unsafe. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall Mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”. (Isaiah 40 verse 31)
Fellow women, what is the greatest thing you can ever do? The Bible says and Mark 12 verse 32 to 31 “and that shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all their mind, and with all their strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, that shall love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these”.
we should find needs in our church homes and apply the gifts and endowments God has given us in meeting those needs. It is not a Wast of a woman life to spend her strength on God, it is the greatest thing she can do. There is an old saying, “once life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last”.
Their women, a million years from now and throughout eternity, you will be glad if you used your strength for your God. Our have faith in God is a great gift. let us guide and exercise it wisely and diligently. Do not let any situation deny you the opportunity of serving God with the abilities he has blessed you with. Do not wait to be called by man to service. For it is involuntary service to God that will ensure our crown of eternal Life.
Our faith in Christ is ours; we must keep it.
AS CHRISTIAN WIVES
The second place a Christian wives gifts and endowments should be spent on husband. The point is: the wife should always be with her husband. In presence, or in heart. Genesis 3:16b says, “thy desire shall be unto thy husband, and he shall rule over you”.she is called and help meet for him”. Notice Genesis 2 vs 18, “and the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”.
The word “meet” means “fit”. It means “one called alongside to help”. Thus, she is supposed to be with her husband to help him. She is to be his completa. When he is off to work, she is still to maintain his presence in her heart. 1 Peter 3 verse 1 to 16 says like Wise, ye 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 of the wives; why thy be hold your chest conversation coupled with fear.
Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of her plating the hair and of wearing gold or of putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden Man Of the Heart, in that which is not corruptible ,even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God adorn themselves, being in subjection onto their own husband…; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord… whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with in
amazement.
You see, the woman was made for the man and not vice versa. That is the way God created it. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 19 says, “neither was the man created for the women; but the woman for the man”. Man needs women more than a woman needs a man. A woman can help a man find and do the perfect will of God for this life or she can hinder him. often the women fulfills the man.
When I think of the perfect marriage, I think of the biblical gospel of Aquila and Priscilla. Priscilla was a helpmate to Aquila and helped him do God’s will… Acts 18 verse 1, 2 says,” after this thing’s Paul departed from Athens and came Corinth and found a certain jew named Aquilla born and pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all jews to depart from ROM…( and came onto them;).
Priscilla’s husband was a hard-working tentmaker. So was the apostle Paul. She opened her home up to him and minister not only her husband, but also to Paul. Those where hard times for as Jews they had recently been kicked out of Rom and had to settle and Corinth. With a new business and a new home, the Lord blessed Priscilla and Aquila. Acts18 verse 18, says “And Paul after these tarried there yet at a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence to syria and with him Priscilla and Aquila ;having shown his head in cenehrea for he had a vow”.
Priscilla accompanied her husband and Paul on missionary work to syria it is good for the wife to help and accompanied her husband on missionary work. Acts 18 verse 24 to 28 says” And a certain jew named Apollo’s born at Alexander an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the lord; and being fervent and the spirit, he spakes and taught diligently the things of the lord knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.. whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expanded on to them the way of God more perfectly.
And when he was dispose to pass into Achaia the brethren wrote exalting the disciples to receive him; who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through Grace… for the mightly convince the Jews, and that publicly shwing by the scriptures that Jesus was
Christ”.
Priscilla helped her husband lead Apollo’s to Christ and disciple him so that he became a powerful minister for the Lord. it is good for a wife to help her husband lead people to Christ and disciple the new convert.
1st Corinthians 16:19 says the churches of Asia salutes you .Aquila and Priscilla salute you much and the lord with the church that is in their house”. Priscilla and Aquila started the church in their house. Aquila probably pastor the church and Priscilla helped him. wives, help your husband do God’s will.
Will the men just get the credit? No! when Paul remembered them, he put it, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus.” Romans 16 verse 3.
Help your husband do God’s will. complete him. Move alongside him to help him. But, you say my husband isn’t even saved. God’s will is for him to be saved (1st Timothy 2 verse 4 ) Help him to get saved. Make that your life work by living according to 1st Peter 3 verse 1. 1st Corinthians 7 verse 16, ” for what knowest thou, o wife, whether thou shall save thy husband”?. but, you say, my husband is saved, but not serving the Lord. Help serve the Lord! That is God’s will – Ephesians 2 verse 10. Pray and fast and encouraged him.
Don’t preach to him, but pray that whatever it takes, that God would bring him back to the lord. Find out what the will of God is for your husband life and encourage him in it. Encourage him to :attend church, pray, study the scriptures, witness for Christ, pay his bill, tithes, fast, serve, love, forgive, love his children etc.
it is not hard to figure it out wives: Use your strength on your husband to help him do the will of God for his life. Don’t hinder him, don’t discourage him, don’t stop him, don’t complain about him, don’t harass him.
God wants to do great things through you both. We must not forget that our husbands are the crowns over our head. We must work very hard in line with the word of God to keep them. We must not allow carelessness, pride or stubbornness, modernism or worldly affections, deny us of his precious crown. Our husband are ours; we must keep them.
AS CHRISTIAN MOTHERS
A Christian mothers gifts and endowment should be spent on their children Proverbs 31 verse 13-31 says, “she she select wool and flax and works with eager hands. she is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. she gets up while it is still night; she provide food for her family and portions for her female servants. she considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plant vain yard. She set about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hands, she’s hold the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extend her hand to the needy . when it snows, she has no fear for her household ;for all of them are clotted in Scarlet .
she makes coverings for her bed; she clothing in in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the Land. She make linen germent and sells, them and supplies the merchant with sashes. she is clothed with strength and dignity ;she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her..;’many women do noble things, but you surpasses them them all. charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honour her for all that her hands have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate”.
1st Timothy 5 verse 14 says, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, their children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully”. Titus 2 verse 4-5 says, “All the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled an pure to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God”.
As we consider these portions of scripture, undoubtedly it takes a lot of strength to be a mother. These verses are not God suggestions to us, it is his words,! we must use the strength he has given us on our children. This will assure us of leaving a living legacy behind – “her children arise up and call her blessed” Proverbs 31 verse 28a.
Your life, however dear Christian mothers, will live on for God and hopefully duplicate itself several times over and over through your sons and daughters, if you have brought them up to serve the lord. Use your strength on God’s will. we have already seen that this means to love our children.
Of course, love is such a misunderstood world these days,we mean you must love them God’s way. By love, we mean that the children must have proper discipline and structure. If not ,they will burn you out. Then your strength will be wasted.
Our children are ours; we must keep them.
Conclusions
The church is filled with women today who “don’t have enough time”, to study God’s word, memorize scripture, pray, fast, witness, minister to others, attend Church services, get involved in ministries and so on.
OUR families and homes are in distress today because we have many married women who have refused to be wives. The world today is bedeviled with hatred, indecency, crime and violence because we have mothers who have lost every sense of motherhood.
What is their problem? misplaced priority. our hole life as christian women will be reviewed and tried by fire. (1st Corinthians 3 verse 13 to 15) anything done for self will burned out and cease to exist. Anything done for God will endure the fire and remain.
We will only be rewarded in heaven for what remains. Use your strength on what will remain forever. To keep our enternal crown intact as christian women, we must fight against jumping from one prayer house to the other in search of quick fixing to our life struggles and so stop falling prey to crafty and dubious men and women who with their selfish desires who distract us from winning our expected crown.
We must let the truth of the word of God shine it’s s light in our lives and through our life-words and actions reflect such lights to all around us. We must treat our husband with utmost respect and submission. We must do all within our power to raise our children accordingly to the word of God. We must hold on to what God has given to us making sure no one, circumstances or situation deprived of our crown.
There for christian women, use your strength for God! Christian wise, use your strength on your husband! Christian mothers, use your strength on your children! don’t let your strength be misplaced. womanhood is our rights and privilege from God and it is only by being godly woman, wives and mothers that we can be sure of the crown of Glory.
it is mine and I must keep it.
Princess (Mrs) odionyenfe kanu
Mama Aba Ngwa North
