Thursday, October 17, 2013

Does Your Experience Trump God's Word?


Women frequently write to me or comment that they work full-time and/or their mothers worked full-time and they are very happy.  Their marriages are happy and their children are turning out great.  Does their experience mean I am not suppose to teach young women to be "keepers at home" as God has commanded me to do?

Whenever I write about submission, there are women who tell me they have great marriages and their marriages are one of equals.  They both have equal say, not one is the leader, and not one is submissive.  So does this mean I should not teach that women are to be submissive to their husbands and the husbands are the head of the wife even though Scripture is very clear about this?

Some of you never were spanked and you never spanked your children and you all grew up to be law abiding, self-disciplined adults.  Does this mean I never teach about using the rod as Scripture clearly teaches?  Should I not teach that God hates divorce and so you must do everything to save your marriage?  That those who don't work, shouldn't eat?  That husbands are to be the providers? etc.

All of you are free to live your lives the way you feel led.  I am simply here to teach God's Word and His ways.  You get to decide whether you want to live by them or not.  Some will use hermeneutical gymnastics to try and show me where I am wrong.

I may not be right and I am sure I am not right all the time but I am only trying to teach Scripture as I interpret it and what has worked beautifully for my family and me.  I loved having my mom home full-time and I am happy I was able to be home full-time with my children.  I am learning to be submissive to my husband and our marriage is better than ever.  We spanked our children, very infrequently, and only when they openly disobeyed us and they all grew up walking in Truth.

So, I am teaching out of God's Word and my experience as I have walked in obedience to His commands.  I wasn't submissive for many years and our marriage was not good.  I know some of you aren't submissive and have great marriages but I will continue to teach God's Word as I read and understand it, instead of trying to make it say what I want it to say.

God is our Creator.  He made us.  His Word is our instruction manual.  He knows what is best for us.  I trust Him and I see that His ways truly do work, over and over again.  I love and seek His wisdom.  He knows everything.  I love His ways.

For wisdom is better than jewels, 
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. 
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
 and I find knowledge and discretion."
Proverbs 8:11,12