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The Fruit of Her Hands, Apples © Pixels and Stories

Today is our first day of getting together to share our thoughts on this encouraging book, The Fruit of Her Hands, by Nancy Wilson. I am glad you are here, grab a cup of coffee and let us encourage one another; “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” Hebrews. 10:24.

This book opens with a short forward by Douglas Wilson, but it is there that I see the key to understanding how are we to fulfill our duties, our God given role in our home; he says,

“When two people are so compatible, it is very easy to coast on the strength of the natural affection. The problem with this is that it becomes easy to neglect the  essential thing in a good marriage, which is reliance on the grace of God”

This is the starting point, reliance on the grace of God.

So, I would suggest, before tackling the rest, to consider if we have been trying to be the woman God has called us to be on our own strength. Maybe you have read several books on how to be a better woman, mom, wife, but it seems that you are not walking forward; well, this is the starting point in our Christian calling, reliance on the grace of God every day, all day.

Nancy opens the book with a Bible verse that shows us, like on a mirror, our sinful inclinations, 2 Tim 3:1-6.

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ” ESV

Everywhere we see it, it is clearer in some scenarios, but is hidden in others: Love yourself, love money, live for pleasures.

We are easily deceived. We are women, just like Eve.

The author mentions two areas in which the modern woman has been”led away by her own lusts”

1. From her God-given domain. (the home)

2. From her God- ordained responsibilities. (her husband and children)

Instead of pursuing these, women today are pursuing freedom and happiness. The world has offered up these as “rewards” to all those who are willing to forsake their God- given domain and responsibilities.

The second aspect this chapter deals with is “A Home With a View”, what does this mean? First and foremost having a biblical view of our husband.  Mrs. Wilson says,

” A woman must cultivate a very high view of her head both the position God has given him over her, as well as the authority God has given him”

 Yes, we have learned that we should submit to our own husbands, and that we are called to be home-centered, but what about this:

“Women have often been vulnerable to deception, and frequently they are self-deceived. The woman who sacrifices her own home, while teaching othe women to be respectful and submissive wives, has been deceived and is deceiving others…she has torn down her house with her own hands (Prov 14:1). By the time she recognizes the trap she is in, it is often too late”

Nowadays, we don’t have to be outside from our homes to be absent from our homes. Where are you all day? Are you in your home really? What about the time we all spend behind this screen?

Let us be careful on how we manage our time “at home”. Let us be women of our home!

This is I guess, why I love this book so much. It is a book that goes beyond giving you good tips on how to be a godly woman. It challenges Christian women to STUDY the Word of God.

Studying the Bible, not only reading it and crossing out our “One-Year Bible Reading chart”, is what we must do. We must walk with God in prayer and in the Word. What a challenge! But isn’t this our calling as wretched sinners saved by a Merciful God?

I like how she says this:

“Not all women are natural students. It takes discipline to read the Scriptures.”

And she carries her argument on to say:

“Christian wives tend to leave the ‘fat books’ and theology to their husbands. While this may look “submissive” to some, it is actually disobedience. It is not enough that we know Proverbs 31, Ephesians 5, I Peter 3, and I Corinthians 1 and 14. We have to know more than how to be a good wife. After all, our first calling is to be good Christians, and if we are good Christians, we will be good wives and mothers…”

The second issue Nancy Wilson deals with in this chapter is :The Woman and the Serpent.

Eve was deceived in the garden, and we are daughters of Eve; we can fall in the lies of the devil pretty easily.

The author mentions some of the lies we women fall into:

1. The popular idea that our problems are all our parents’ fault.

2. We are not responsible for own faults.

3. We should search back into our past to resurrect old hurts and wrongs (“to be healed”).

What are the antidotes against all the devil’s lies?

* Asking ourselves: “What does the Bible says about such and such issue?”

-No wonder why is it SO important that we study the Bible diligently.-

* Going to our husband first.

*Not sharing our spiritual problems with all our friends. The world tells us that speaking out is always beneficial, but I agree with the author when she says, “Sometimes talking about it [our problem] just makes things worse”

“In many situations, it is no wonder we don’t know what to do -we aren’t in the Word. How can we know what God requires if we are not reading what He has written (Deut. 8:3)?

“Stay away from  the books {and I -Becky- will add blogs…} that get you look inward instead of away from yourself to Christ. He is all-sufficient for all the problems a married (or single or widowed or divorced) woman might have (Heb. 8:1)….

And finally, pray that your mind will not be led into deception and corruption, but will stay, remain, and dwell in the simplicity that is found in Christ” 

But this is meant to be a conversation, the coffee is ready, my sister brought some cookies and we are here to share… what do you have to say?, What books have helped you grow in your Christian life?, How do you find time to study the Word and set apart a time to pray?, What are those lies that still try to penetrate your heart regarding your God given domain and responsibilities?  If you did not read the book, please, feel free to comment as well… no worries!

Leave a comment or a link to your post (in case you decided to blog about these first two chapters).

Are you just coming in? Maybe you want to catch up with our reading and join the conversation. Learn about our reading schedule here.

You can follow the conversation in Spanish too! Visit us today at Delicias a Tu Diestra Para Siempre.

When Light Meets Daily Life II
Thoughts For Wives
Yes, I Will Open the Box

Marriage and Wine (at the former blog)
One +One = One (at the former blog)


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