Page 110 - Sarah's Children

The wife who seeks to make her husband successful will make it her goal and
aspiration in life to know where he is going and to seek to help him get there in the
best fashion. She will apply herself to learning what his desires are for her and she
will seek to fulfill those desires without the necessity of constant prompting.

Again, I feel it necessary to make a distinction between the godly and ungodly desires
of a man. A wife or daughter should not make it her goal to help her husband or
father attain ungodly desires in the best manner possible. It is not the wife’s or
daughter’s calling to correct a wrong authority, but they need not speed them on
their way to an ungodly goal, either.

A wife or daughter should have some discernment about the will of Yahweh, and in
most cases they will find that their husband or father does have many godly desires
that they can assist them in fulfilling. If a woman has a husband or father whose
heart is intent on following Christ as a disciple, then there should be many
opportunities to help them succeed.

Let me give you a couple of examples on how a wife can help her husband to be
successful in accomplishing his desires. Since my wife and I first got married I have
desired that she dress in a modest and feminine manner. I have always thought that
women are very modest and attractive in long dresses, and I made my desire known
to my wife. My wife had many other influences in the church, however, and for many
years she did not walk in the principles spoken of here. She did things according to
her desire and will. She had a tendency to make strong friendships with other
women, and I would find her conforming in image to these women rather than to her
husband’s desires.

My wife went through various phases. She had one friend who liked stirrup pants
and a variety of tops, often with the padded shoulders, to coordinate with them. My
wife went shopping with her and her whole wardrobe changed to this fashion. Later
she had another friend that liked a different fashion that was known for its wild
patterns and bright colors, as well as pants and shorts. Again my wife’s dress
changed.

In all of this my desires were not fulfilled, and the effect was felt in our home. I have
also desired that our daughter should dress modestly and in feminine apparel.
However, my daughter found that she had her own preferences, I will call it the
tomboy look, and she dressed in this way. My wife was not able to lead our daughter
into conforming to my desire for her dress because my wife was not conforming
herself. I was therefore hindered in bringing my family to be arrayed with modesty,
and with what I viewed to be appropriate and godly dress.

Last year (our sixteenth year of marriage), the Father brought forth many