A Wife's Duty

“May I please have your advice?” pleaded a young wife and mother, after she had given Rita a full account of all her troubles. Rita smiled and replied,

“My dear girl, there was once a time, when I was in a similar situation. I was full of worries and burdens that I didn’t want. I wanted to be free, to have my time, and to do what I wanted to do. But in the end, it didn’t work because I was loaded with responsibility. I had to take care of my Husband and 3 children -cooking for them, cleaning after them, watching them, besides keeping the house. I didn’t have time to do anything I enjoyed because I grew exhausted after that. And then, I couldn’t take it anymore, I ran away to my mother’s house. After pouring out the whole story, she gave me a piece of advice for which I am and will be eternally grateful. It has helped me so much that that I can now say, that my life was changed for the better thereafter.”

At these words, the young mother’s face brightened, and she eagerly exclaimed,

“What? What is this counsel that has helped you so much? Pray, tell me, tell me what your mother said.”

Rita sank back into chair, and closed her eyes. The scene came back all too clear, both of them in front of the fire, with her mother reclining on the easy rocking chair, and she, herself on the stool, at her mother’s feet. Rita sighed, and began softly, while the mother listened, absorbed ……

‘“In order to have a successful marriage, dear Rita, both husband and wife have to yield the right to hobbies. The husband has to yield his hobbies if it is an intrusion on more important priorities. The Scriptural command for the husband to yield this right is found in Ephesians 5:25.
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Ephesians 5:25
The husband is to lay down his life for his wife in the same way that Christ laid down His life for the Church –His Bride.

But the wife also has a charge. She is to yield her rights to hobbies, or anything that would interfere with responsibility stated in Titus 2.
“The aged women likewise, that [they be] in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:3-5
This is an example given of a godly woman. She is wise. She is discreet and chaste. She cares. She is also obedient to her husband. Her responsibility is to be the managers of the home, that God’s Word would not be blasphemed.

Now, if and hobby becomes a consuming focus, requires too much time, effort, money, loyalty, and distracts a spouse from his of her responsibility, it should be put aside, in view of completing the more important priorities.”’



Rita ended her recital there, but the words did not stop there. It hung in the thickening air. For a moment, there was complete silence; both the ladies were in deep reverie. Suddenly, the clock was heard chiming 5 o’clock. It broke the silence, and brought the 2 ladies back into reality. Rita was the first to recover, and she could see the effect her mother’s words had on the girl. Tears were coursing down her face, as the young mother penitently acknowledged, “Oh, I have been so careless in the responsibility that God has given to me. I have loved my own liberty too much, and have not yielded my rights. It is truly my own fault that I have suffered so much misery.” Then, with a glance at her fashionable outfit, she said with a tone of determination and resolution, “God give me the grace, I shall give up my vanity. I shall endeavour to be like the woman in Titus 2:3-5, and I haven’t reached that goal yet, before God calls me home, I shall die attempting it.” With a voice full of gratitude, she turned to Rita and said, “How can I ever thank you mother, (for mother I shall now call you, since I lost my own when I was little) for sharing with me those words which have pointed me in the right way?” She gathered the old wrinkled hands in her own, and said, “I have to go soon if I am to keep my resolution, for it’s five o’ clock, and my husband will be back in an hour’s time. But before I go, let me ask you for the remainder of your story.”

“Dear daughter of my heart, there is not much left to tell, but that I went back home a changed woman. From that day on, I purposed to be that woman in Titus 2:3-5 (caring, wise, discreet, and a good manager of the house, that God’s Word be not blasphemed,” replied Rita.

“And so you have been, and always shall be, I imagine!” declared the ‘daughter’. Rita smiled, but shook her head, and responded,

“I was once young, and a wife and mother, but in time all three gifts of the Lord has either been taken or flown away. I am now old and widowed, and of my 3 sons, 2 fell in battle, while the youngest is happily married in a foreign land, only to visit me irregularly. No, dear girl, I still have much to learn, and so do all of us. But make Titus 2:3-5 your goal, and you shall do well.”