The Power of Silence
By the time I came to Christ, I’d been a wife for seven years. Naturally, the first thing I began petitioning God for was salvation for my husband and children. I didn’t feel as pressed about the kids because they were still very young and I knew their tender hearts would be receptive to Truth. Sure enough, our children gave their hearts to Christ within a few months.
Bobby, however, was an adult. For the most part the cement had set. Thankfully, he was already a man of honorable character. He was also a successful, self-made businessman who had established a thriving business, and was providing well for his little family. He was proud of what he had accomplished, and rightly so, but in some ways this became a stumbling-block. Being self-sufficient often times equates to being self-reliant, even when it comes to one’s eternal existence.
In my infantile state of Christianity and my newfound exuberance for the Lord, I began to feel a little panicky. Although I fully recognized my husband’s need for salvation through faith in Christ, he did not. So, as any good wife would do, I began “encouraging” his conversion by frequently quoting Scripture to him, admonishing him, and tucking hand-written Bible verses into his lunch cooler. I felt an extreme sense of urgency for him to embrace the Truth of Scripture, and make a profession of faith.
Being that I was truly a babe in Christ, I believe the Lord bestowed upon me an extra measure of grace, probably while chuckling to Himself at my displaced alarm. I hadn’t yet grasped the fact that God works in His time and in His way. I had spent the first 26 years of my life not even realizing that I had been spiritually-starving to death…literally. My faith-awakening found me consuming God’s Word ravenously, drawing as much into my spirit as I possibly could. I desperately wanted to share this with my beloved!
As He often does, God spoke to me through His written word one evening as I sat devouring the New Testament. I stumbled across the following verse in 1 Peter 3:1:
“In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if
some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over.”
I instantly realized that my approach had been all wrong! In my earnest desire to help my husband along toward salvation and commitment to Christ, I had been bombarding him with words instead of godly character. I vowed then and there to shut my big mouth and allow the Lord to work through my obedient behavior and fervent prayers. I learned to trust Him for the method as well as the timing. I knew God was at work. My job was to wait and keep quiet.
As I purposed to live an obedient Christian life {while biting my tongue}, the Lord kept up His end of the deal and continued to pursue Bobby’s heart. About a year later, my sweet husband met the Lord, and we were later baptized ~ together!
If you are the wife of an unbelieving husband, don’t give up! Remain steadfast in your prayers for him, and obedient to the words of instruction in 1 Peter 3:1. Allow the Light to shine brightly by virtue of your godly behavior. The Lord’s Divine Illumination pierces the darkness, and He speaks, even in the silence.
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"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."
~ Psalm 141:3