Once we have a desire to minister to our families, the place we must start with is Jesus. I find that our spiritual lives and our outward conduct are inextricably linked.

The way we fulfill our roles as godly wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters is directly affected by our relationship with the Lord. We have to get right with God first. If we are not in a right relationship with the Lord, we can’t be sweet-tempered and forbearing! It is impossible; God makes that very clear. We are sinful human beings unable to produce the “Fruit of the Spirit” except by God’s Holy Spirit that He gives to those who believe in Jesus. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9).

Life is full of disappointments and frustrations. There are emotional challenges that come with family life. We must be prepared to meet the demands placed upon a virtuous woman. We must strive to maintain a right relationship with the Lord that we may come forth spiritually charged and emotionally stable in order to support and encourage our families. When you are married, this principle will enable you to best help your husband, to present him with sound, Biblical advice, to have love and wisdom in raising your children, and to have the strength and perseverance to keep well-ordered the home of your beloved.

How do we find contentment now?

First, recognize the sin of covetousness. Ask God to forgive you, and determine to find your contentment in Him. “If we confess our sins, He faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Then ask. Contentment is His gift. Pray and ask for it. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth them not; and it shall be given unto him” (James 1:5).

Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” The way to counteract covetousness and ungratefulness is by thanking and praising the Lord for His goodness, greatness, and many blessings.

We must be content with things God has given us. God has given us the ability to be content if we are saved. “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name”. (Romans 1:5).

Start with God.

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the Living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalms 42:1-2).

God is all we need to be content, and He is the only thing we should rely upon for our contentment. Other people will disappoint you, things will not fulfill you, a change in situation will not make a difference. If you place all your happiness on a person or a type of life you want to lead, you will be crushed when it doesn’t turn out the way you thought and your world comes tumbling down. God doesn’t want us to live that way--emotionally high one day, emotionally low the next. Christians are to be even-tempered like the Lord.

Realize that God is the only one and only thing that can ever fully satisfy us. Other people will disappoint us. They will never be as perfectly godly as we would like, or perhaps there may be times when we feel neglected rejected or misunderstood. Jesus is the only one who understands our hearts perfectly. He has promised to never leave or forsake His children, and He cares about every little aspect of our lives.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for He hath said, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.' So that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me'” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Remember the day I described in my first article? The day when everything seemed to be a mess, and I stood in the kitchen wondering about the future? As the tape recorder clicked off and the "Blessed Marriage" speech came to a close, I was left deep in contemplation. I finished scrubbing the kitchen. It was now clean and fairly shone. The curtains rippled as a refreshingly cool breeze blew in through the window, bringing with it the scent of hay and summertime. I glanced up with the thought that evening had come. A brilliant sunset, as can only be seen in the heart of midwest farm country, met my eyes with picturesque delight. Golden strands and rose-colored plumes swept across the horizon, set against a twilight blue and periwinkle sky. Thankfulness and repentance leaped to my heart. I watched until the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, then tore myself away to turn on the lights. By this time the house was filled with the warm scent of freshly baked bread. The front door opened. My father was home!

“What smells so good?” he exclaimed with a grin. He lay down his briefcase on the table.

“Bread,” answered my mother as she descended our spiral staircase from above.

“Bread!” he echoed as he eagerly stepped towards the cooling racks.

“Patience!” I laughed teasingly and swatted him away.

I quickly cut some slices and smoothed them over with butter. We sat down in the living room to eat and listen to my father’s account of his day. The sounds of nighttime came through an open window: wind chimes, crickets, bullfrogs, and the small waterfall that trickled merrily into our pond.
I closed my eyes and said a prayer. My favorite verse came to mind, and I quoted it to myself: “Wait thou my soul upon the Lord only, for my expectation is from Him” (Psalms 62:5).

I suddenly realized that my happiness was not dependent upon marriage, or people, or even life situations. It had to be based on an unchanging God, in the certain knowledge of His faithfulness, and in the truth of His Word.

Then I knew that no matter what happened in my life, I could find joy and contentment in God. With His help, I could spend my maidenhood contented “Under my Father’s Roof.”



Seanna Hollinger is a homeschool graduate who lives with her family and enjoys serving the body of Christ. Seanna hopes to pursue an interest in writing and sharing a vision of beautiful womanhood with other young women in her community.

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