Proverbs 18:22
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.
“Me and the wife are going out of town this weekend.” I don’t know about you, but this way of referring to one’s wife – as “the wife” – has always bugged the tar out of me. As if the woman you have chosen to marry is simply another prop or tool in your life…like the hammer or the car or the dog. You can “find” a decent hammer or car or even a dog without much effort…but if you are looking for a wife primarily from a biblical perspective, that’s not such an easy task.
God said in the garden that, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen 2:18). Of course, at that point the man and the woman had yet to fall into sin, so they were both “a real catch”, to say the least. On this side of The Fall it’s not so easy, which is why finding a wife that is pursuing God’s will for her life is definitely like finding a treasure that will bring the favor of God into that man’s life. On the other side of that coin is the fact that in order to attract that kind of wife the husband needs to be the kind of godly man a godly woman would consider marrying. As the old saying goes…the bait determines the catch.
A godly wife helps to rescue her husband from being selfish and self-centered. She is as blessing as her femininity helps to round off the rough edges that so often exist in a man’s life. A wife provides sexual intimacy which brings with it several blessings of God and helps to keep a man’s way pure. A godly wife is a constant companion as you journey through the ups and downs of life. And whether you access these kinds of blessings may have more to do with your role as a husband than her role as a wife. A man after God’s own heart would be easy to follow, trust, and respect…despite his flaws…and would never lord his biblical authority over his wife.
If you have children, this proverb is especially important to teach, not only to your son(s), but to your daughter(s). Every parent should be praying for their children to find a godly spouse, but just as true is the fact that every parent needs to help teach their children how to find one. Once again, doing it God’s way will always bring with it His blessings. If you are already married, the same goes for you.
