It takes many attributes and attitudes to make a Christ-like wife.  Like baking a cake, stirring the right proportions of the right ingredients makes a great cake.  One attribute that a husband values in his wife, when done in the right proportions and in a right way, is strength.  Rodeo wives must be strong to survive.  Not only physical endurance, but also emotional and spiritual strength are essential. Strength that shows itself as boastful, unteachable, and independent is not God’s strength.  The strength of God is most noticeable when the storms of life hit and the Godly woman becomes unshakeable.

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Nehemiah 8:10 says, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Isaiah 30:15 says, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.“  To make a cake you mix flour, sugar, eggs, milk, oil and flavorings.  God is telling us to mix together His joy, peace, quietness, and trust and we will have strength.

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HOW DO WE GET JOY, QUIETNESS, AND TRUST?
 

In the book of John, Jesus tells us that He will give us joy and peace with overflowing abundance.  Joy and peace are gifts from Jesus.  We must open our hearts and let Him pour it in.  Often though we reject it.  We become overwhelmed by our circumstances and choose to be filled with worldly anxiety rather than Godly peace.  Philippians 4 is a great passage of Scripture that instructs us how to be joyful and peaceful.  First, is a commandment; rejoice always.  When walking with God, joy is not an option, it is a command.  If we choose to walk with anxiety and distress we are sinning. Having failed at living in peace and choosing to live in anxiety thousands of times, anxiety may be a tough but not impossible to break. 

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To get out—repent, ask for forgiveness and then do what Philippians 4 says, “Be thankful in all situations and let your request be made known to God.”  Then we are to choose to quit thinking about the junk in our lives and choose to focus on those things that are good, noble, and of good repute.  God doesn’t want grumpy kids.  There is a great promise in these verses, “If we will think on those things that are good then the God of peace will guard our hearts.”  God so wants us to remain filled with His joy and His peace that if we do our part, He will guard our hearts.

Now, the confidence of God.  Learning to trust God, to depend upon Him is a vital ingredient to Godly strength.  Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge God and He will make your paths straight. Fear the Lord and shun evil, this will bring health to your body.”  It may take time to learn to trust God.  Most of us have been disappointed by men and women throughout our lives and it is easy to build a wall and refuse to trust anyone. The unjust treatment you may have received from men and women should have nothing to do with your attitude in trusting God.  God can be trusted.  You will become a stronger, healthier person as you learn to trust and depend upon your Heavenly Father.  Trust comes through increased faith.  Faith comes from learning and studying the Bible—from hearing the word and putting it in your heart.

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The strength of the wife in a marriage is crucial.  There is a saying, “if Mama ain’t happy, nobody is happy.”  There is so much truth in that statement.  Rodeo wife, you set the attitude of the family.  If you are anxious, angry, and doubting—your attitude will negatively affect your entire family.  You can positively affect your family by being strong.   You can be the strong support that is necessary by being filled with God’s joy, confidence, peace, and quietness.

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SO WHAT IS YOUR PART?
 

We all want the good things of God, but many, many Christians aren’t willing to do their part.  You may start with excuses.  I can’t read the Bible all the time, I am so busy with the kids, I am so busy doctoring horses, I am so tired from driving.  If you are serious, really serious about being the strength God wants you to be for your family, here is one way to do it.  Purchase a walk-man with head phones, purchase the Bible on tape and praise songs and a large quantity of batteries.  Stick those headphones on and start listening to God’s word.  Put it in your heart, as you bathe the babies, doctor the horses, fold the clothes, wash the dishes.  Let God’s word penetrate your heart and mind as much as possible.  God tells us that faith comes by hearing the word.  Make it a point to listen to praise music and the words of the Bible as much as possible.  Watching soaps and listening to secular music is only hurting you and your family.  They may be entertaining, but they do nothing to strengthen you to deal with the trials and storms of life.

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Wives, you have an incredible job to do.  Rodeo husbands are tough on the outside, but most are tender on the inside.  With a word, a look, or a shrug you encourage or discourage your husband.  Take this to heart, your words, looks, and actions have tremendous affect on your husband.  We have the ability to make our husband’s lives miserable. By becoming strong in the Lord and in His power, you will be more positive in your words, confident in your goals, steadfast in your emotions, and a greater encouragement to all. People will enjoy being with you, because of your joyful, positive, confident attitude.  Isaiah 32:17 says “the fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”

Jesus gives a warning to us in Matthew 7:24-27.  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash.”

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Precious women in rodeo, it is our desire at Western Meadows that you all become strong in the Lord, that you be able to withstand the storms of life.  We want your marriages to be great, we want you to be wives that your husbands value.  So, please be wise and put God’s Word into practice in your life.

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With a word, a look, or a shrug you encourage or discourage your husband.