IN THE KITCHEN AGAIN!
“Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work” (1 Timothy 5:9-10).
Do you feel like doing something good today? How about making your husband his favorite meal? Or making some healthy cookies or an extra special meal for your children? Or you may like to bake a cake or some homemade bread and a big pot of soup for someone you know who is sick, pregnant or recently had a new baby.
“Goodness, you don’t want me to get into the kitchen again, do you?” I hear you say. Yes! And you will be doing the “good works” God planned for you.
There are two particular passages in the New Testament that give a description of God’s plan for women. As I read them again recently I noticed that they bring us back to the kitchen! God is so practical. And He wants us to be heavenly practical! That means doing the “good works” He planned in Heaven for us to do on earth!
The first passage is in 1 Timothy 5:9-10 where it gives a beautiful description of a godly woman. God puts everything in order and the first thing we read that she does is to:
- Nourish children. The word in the Greek is teknotropheo and means “to cherish, nourish and give food to children; it is also used of a mother nursing a baby at her breast.” This is all about food! It starts with nursing our babies and then feeding them every day of their lives until they leave home! This means spending a lot of time in the kitchen! But it is not a waste of time. It is all part of our nurturing, mothering anointing. And it is all in God’s plan. What does she do next?
- Show hospitality to strangers. Hospitality is also about food. The more people you invite to your table and to stay in your home, the more you’ll be in the kitchen! Don’t despair! God looks upon it with favor. He says it is a good work!
- Wash the saints’ feet. In biblical times they washed the feet of their guests when they arrived at the home and before they sat them down to a meal. It speaks of serving. But once again, it is all about food. Washing feet is preparing to serve them food.
- Relieve those who are in distress. Most of the time this will mean feeding those who are hungry and bringing into your home those who have nowhere to stay (which once again means feeding them)!
Do you notice how these “good works” are all to do with food? But we haven’t finished yet. The other passage is in Titus 2:3-5 where it tells the older women to teach the younger women “good things.” The Greek word is kalodidaskalos which means she is teaching them things which are valuable and beautiful to behold. The J. B. Phillips translation says that these things are “a good advertisement for the Christian faith.” Of the good things that are mentioned, most of them refer to food. Let’s have a look:
- Love your husband. You can’t love your husband without feeding him. The old saying is true that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” One of the good things you can do for your husband is to make sure that you have a nutritious, attractive and aroma-filled meal ready for him when he gets home. Not an hour after he gets home, but as soon as he gets home! You abundantly bless him when he arrives home to a beautifully set table, a lovely meal and the family waiting for him to take his place at the head of the table.
- Love your children. You certainly show your love to your children by preparing wholesome meals for them, not with resignation, but with excitement and joy. They know you love them when you delight to cook for them and make special things for them. And as you cook, you will let them help you, showing the way for the next generation.
- Sensible. This is translated “discreet” in the KJV. The Greek word is sophron and means “a person who limits his own freedom and ability with proper thinking, demonstrating self-control with the proper restraints on all the passions and desires, one who voluntarily places limitations on his freedom.” To prepare meals for our husband and family, day after day, week after week, year after year (I have now been doing it for over 48 years!), takes sacrifice and limiting our own freedom. We’ll happily stop doing “our own thing” when it’s time to prepare meals.
- Keepers at home. This speaks of running our home efficiently. To competently manage a home we need to plant a garden to provide fresh food for our family, shop, order food from afar, plan, preserve, and prepare wholesome and delicious meals. It’s all about food again!
- Good. Remember, cooking and preparing meals is a “good thing” and God is watching!
- Submit to your husband. Having a meal ready for our husband shows our deference and submission to him. What does the virtuous woman to do her husband? “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:12).
Have fun cooking! Now you can do it with revelation, not resignation!
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
“Thank you, Father for showing me that preparing food is not an inferior task, but high on the list in your agenda for mothers. Help me to remember that it is one of the good works you have chosen for me to accomplish.”
AFFIRMATION:
Look out family: mother is cooking up a storm!
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