from 1955 - how to be a good wife

[olger]

Please describe the "spiritual" nature and component that you see in that.

You probably wouldn't understand...

[olger]

Rebellion

The 1960’s in our country was an era of rebellion. It was the beginning of a specific onslaught against the youth of our nation, and most of the parents were caught off guard by the rapid changes. Even our music (rock music) was based upon rebellion, and there were a thousand theme songs to urge on the children of this era. I was one of them.

Our society, for the most part did not know how address this problem of rebellion. It wasn’t handled well. The church is different though. The people who enter the New Jerusalem will be those who have gotten the victory over the spiritual sins of pride & rebellion. They are a new spiritual Israel, characterized by submission to the authority of God, and the humility to be sanctified & justified.

I’d like to share seven consequences if rebellion is not resolved in a person’s life.

• Reject Correction (Proverbs 1:24-25). You can never tell a rebellious person anything (and I may be exaggerating that). But those of you who are married and have a rebellious spouse, you understand what I’m saying. Anything you ask them to do, they’ll react. If a person is locked inside against authority, that will affect every statement in a relationship.

• Destroy God’s reputation. (1 Timothy 6:1). The Bible says that if you do not respond with a proper attitude to your masters (or employers) your example will destroy God’s reputation.

• Experience guilt. (Romans 13:5).

• Experience Calamity (Proverbs 1:25) God says I will laugh when your calamity comes—because of your rebellion. God is not sympathetic when we allow a stronghold of rebellion to develop in our life.

5. Unmet needs. (Psalm 68:6). “The rebellious live in a barren land.” Some of us learned to rebel when we were young, and then we grew up and got married. If the sin of rebellion wasn’t resolved from the heart, we carried the attitude into our homes. We joined the church. Same thing. As adults it’s hidden inside, but no one notices this---except our spouse does. And we said subconsciously “I’m not going to be rebellious anymore.” But nothing changed on the inside, and we began going through life reacting to people. The rebellious live in a barren land. If there’s no rain, your needs never get met. Can’t grow anything. That’s exactly what God says will happen to a rebellious person. Let me ask you a question. Do you live in a barren land because you’re always reacting to something? Or is your heart responsive & open where you are enjoying relationships?

6. Rebellion opens a person to Enemy attack. (1 Samuel 15:23). God had told King Saul to do a thorough job. He did it part way and then decided “God made a mistake.” So he did things his own way. God sent a messenger to Him with these classic words: Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee. Who was the original rebel? Satan. In the occult, people give ground in their heart to the enemy in order to get something back. They want power. A person involved in witchcraft places himself under satan’s authority and satan controls that person. It’s the same with rebellion, people give ground to the enemy in order to get the power to do what they want and people never get free because satan controls that area of their life. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Rebellion takes us out from under God’s protection. The very first king of Israel was a symbol of what would happen to the nation. His rebellion and stubborness eventually led him into the occult and he was destroyed. A sad story.

Now I don’t understand everything about how the enemy works when he influences a person’s life, but I know the enemy is deceptive and he’s trying to figure out any way he can get into a believer’s life to destroy their effectivenness. And in our culture, rebellion is acceptable. You don’t have to look very far to find it. And I think the enemy has gotten a huge opportunity to destroy believers here. Study that passage, because I think there’s a key here. And if you have a problem with rebellion, ask God to break it.

7. God will exert pressure. (1 Samuel 12:15).

"If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers." Isa 63:10 “Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and fought against them.”

If a person has the sin of rebellion in their life, God will bring calamity on them to break that. I experienced this consequence in my young life, and even as an adult there have been times when God fought against me because my heart wasn’t right. What is the opposite of rebellion? A heart that is open to respond to God and others. Responsiveness. Or obedience. Let me ask you a question. Is your heart responsive to God’s word? Does the spirit of prophecy make your heart react?

Or can you say with David “I delight in thy law O God. The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” The opposite of rebellion is obedience. In 1 Samuel 15 God says to obey is better than to sacrifice. Jesus has something better for us than the pointless merry-go-round of sin & offering, sin & offering, and sin & offering. God wants to do something special in your life.

humbly submitted by:

olger

[Nan]

Olger, on a spiritual level I agree with your thoughts on rebellion. And in any human relationship certain personality types can spell disaster - hostile/dominant types especially.

But to apply rebellion to the idea of rejecting the 50's stereotype of a wife....not so sure I agree. Of course the picture may be only that, a stereotype - sort of Stepford Wives - but the grovelling and self-effacing subservience evidenced in the article strikes me as quite inappropriate in a marriage.

But then maybe that idea of mine is related to the failure of my first marriage.....

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Redwood

Please describe the "spiritual" nature and component that you see in that.

You probably wouldn't understand...

No And don't care to Olger.

There is nothing spiritual about the 1955 version of a woman's role in my mind. And the fact that my wife rebels against that .... is indeed a good thing. I don't believe it is "spiritual" in any way.

Would love to be the fly on your wall.

[olger]

Hi Nan.

Thanks for your note. We agree on the damage that rebellion can cause in a life.

The thoughts I wrote on rebellion had little to do with the spoof post that started this thread. The original post was a sprinbgboard from which Red jumped to the topic of rebellion (see his post 155810).

In any case, it is good to be able to talk about such things even if the origin was mockery (looks like it might have been).

As one who has experienced rebellion in my own life, it is important to be free from it. Here is what the Bible says if anyone is interested:

Rebellion.

Rebellion is a spiritual sin. There is a reason that God links it with witchcraft in the Bible (1 Samuel 15:23). In rebellion, as in the occult, a person gives ground inside of them to the enemy--to gain power. It opens the door for the enemy to control our lives.

We live in a time when it is considered normal to be independent of all types of authority. Submission to authority is not respected. Yet, the Bible teaches us that we are to be subject to the authority of:

• Government

• Father

• Mother

• Husband

• Employers

• Spiritual leaders

• God

Demonstrating defiance to these authorities will bring many consequences into a rebellious person’s life. For instance, a young person grows up in a home and rebels against the authority of the parents. Rebellion against the authority of the parents automatically leads to rebellion against God’s authority, for it is God who established parental authority. This leads to rebellion against God’s Law, because when we rebel against God, we automatically reject His law. When we rebel against God’s authority, we establish our own authority. Each of us has sexual desires, and when we reject God’s Law (which defines the proper use of those desires) it almost ALWAYS leads to moral failure (99%). Moral failure brings many negative consequences into a person’s life. Unresolved, this causes serious spiritual problems, and destroys many marriages (even if the moral failure happened long before marriage). It must be resolved (cleaned up) before a person can be free to live from their heart as God intended.

A pastor I know had a stronghold of rebellion in his life, and by God’s grace he resolved it. He called some weeks later and said “Something’s different in our home. Because when we sit down and pray, God answers our prayer. And we’ve never experienced that before. “In fact” He said, 2 people have come to Christ and I haven’t even been looking for people to lead to Christ. They’re walking into my office, and God is opening the door and I just happen to be there, doing his work. And he said, “In our family now it’s so much fun because now God is doing it and the strongholds are gone. It’s like the enemy is no longer able to accomplish his purpose because we resolved issues in our hearts.”

5 solutions to rebellion.

• Acknowlege & confess (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5)

• Identify & resolve the cause (Psalm 139:23,Lamemtations 3:40)

• Submit to the Lord (2 Chronicles 30:8 / James 4:7)

• Respond openly to those in authority (! Peter 2:13)

• Allow the Holy Spirit to control your life (Ephesian 5:18)

in His love,

olger

[Woody]

Give me a break.

It is just not possible to communicate with that man.

But feel free to branch out on your own agenda ...

Just start a new thread since you are entirely OFF topic.

[Amelia]

Olger, I think the comment Red made about his wife being a tad rebellious was ment as a jest. Lets ;eave it as such. A thread about spiritual rebellion would be great though. Would you like to start one?

[Guest JeanMarie]

Olger wrote:

Quote:

The thoughts I wrote on rebellion had little to do with the spoof post that started this thread. The original post was a sprinbgboard from which Red jumped to the topic of rebellion (see his post 155810).

SPOOF POST????? I posted the article because I thought it interesting, and I thought it would be interesting to the forum members.

and then he writes:

Quote:

In any case, it is good to be able to talk about such things even if the origin was mockery (looks like it might have been).

MOCKERY? :R

[Dr. Shane]

I like discussions about how women can be better wives. We should have a discussion about how men can be better husbands too.

[Amelia]

JeanMarie,

Please don't take offense. I loved your post! The guys are just getting a tad off topic and they are now getting their posts and posters crossed.

Amelia

[Amelia]

I like discussions about how women can be better wives. We should have a discussion about how men can be better husbands too.

OK, as long as husbands and wives don't start bickering.

[olger]

Red said (rhymes)'It is just not possible to communicate with that man."

O Ye of little faith. With God all things are possible.

oG

[Woody]

Leave the personal attack out of it and we just might be able to communicate. Otherwise ... I stand by my statement ... It is just not possible to communicate with you. If you feel I am mocking you and God or Ellen White ... then make the accusation to me like a man and the instructions of our Lord in Matt.18

[olger]

JM, Hi.

That was not referring to you, I don't see you as a mocker at all.

Shane, I agree. These can be healthy discussions.

oG

[Woody]

Quote:

18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

18:16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

[Nan]

Originally Posted By: Shane

I like discussions about how women can be better wives. We should have a discussion about how men can be better husbands too.

OK, as long as husbands and wives don't start bickering.

I will be good Melia....specially as Sammy is away at the moment ROFL

[olger]

Good girl :)

[Bravus]

I think the Golden Rule pretty much covers it. Not that that's easy or anything.

But each of us concentrating on being the best we can be to our partners is far better than any of us telling others how to be.

[Amelia]

I think the Golden Rule pretty much covers it. Not that that's easy or anything.

But each of us concentrating on being the best we can be to our partners is far better than any of us telling others how to be.

Then why do we have "marriage experts" in the church telling us how it should be via seminars?

[Stan]

I think the Golden Rule pretty much covers it.

Apparently, the Golden Rule needs a clearer definition, perhaps 5-6 people can meet together and make a list of what all it would take...

(O I should not have said that :) )

[Amelia]

[Bravus]

Nice one, Stan! And to your question, Amelia... because we suck at implementing the Golden Rule! It's one of those things that is simple but far from easy.

[Jeannieb43]

This has been a seriously ENTERTAINING thread!

First of all, the 1955 Good Housekeeping article is for real. I can tell you from experience that that was the prevailing practice among well-informed housewives of that era. At least it was their goal. Not everyone attained that goal, of course, but it was what was taught, in women's magazines of that era. [i know. That was the year I graduated from college and went "out into the world" to begin my adult life.]

But reading it nowadays, in light of Women's Equality standards, and since the economic downturn now seems to require both parents to work outside the home, it provides merely a chuckle. Something like "Leave it to Beaver" households of that time. [What woman ever cooks dinner wearing a dress and high heels??!]

Thanks for the diversion!

[Woody]

There you go again Amelia ... Line Dancing ONline. And it is nearly Sabbath.

[Amelia]

But I have time yet to boogie. YEEHAW