This past Monday morning I sat at the table after breakfast, holding my 5-year-old daughter on my lap as I signed my paycheck and handed it to my wife to deposit in the bank. I joked about how glad I am that she is trustworthy, but then I realized that I had an opportunity to make much of my wife in front of her children, and so I bragged that I usually pay little attention to our finances because I completely and unreservedly trust my wife. As I was talking, I thought of the verse in Proverbs 31 where it says of the virtuous wife, “The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.” Now I am aware of the fact that Proverbs 31:10-31 is one of the most beloved passages in Scripture, but it is also the source of many unfair comparisons and unrealistic expectations. The last thing I want to do is put my wife (or anyone else’s for that matter) under additional pressure to conform to an idealized standard of feminine perfection, but I have reflected recently on the woman God has given to be my wife, and I can affirm that my heart fully trusts her.
Oh, I know she’s not perfect, and because she is her own worst critic, she will probably roll her eyes and try not to acknowledge my public praise, but as today is our 9th wedding anniversary, it is appropriate for me to proclaim in the most public way that I know, how blessed I am to have such a trustworthy and honorable wife. She has consistently proven her skill in adapting to new circumstances, leaving behind friends and family in many different places to follow God’s leading in our life together, and at each juncture she has shown the ambition and determination necessary to find success. Time and time again she has embraced ministry to others, taking advantage of whatever opportunities God has given, whether it has been leading a Bible study, teaching another young mother how to cook, or seeking the spiritual welfare of our children.
There was a time early in our relationship when we were traveling and we stopped for a break. I waited while she freshened up in a public restroom, and for some reason I became almost paranoid, thinking that she was going to slip out a back door or window and run off. I guess I just couldn’t believe that someone that beautiful would actually have anything to do with me, but when I told her she just laughed. While I still wonder what she sees in me most days, I have learned to depend on her wisdom and faithfulness and to thank God for his wonderful gift; a wife whose trustworthiness strengthens my heart.
“The highest gift and favor of God is a pious, kind, godly, and domestic wife,
with whom thou mayest live peaceably, and to whom thou mayest entrust
all thy possessions, yea, thy body and thy life.” – Martin Luther