Job's Wife Stayed

By David J. Stewart

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." -Job 2:9

I've never heard one good word mentioned about Job's wife.  I've heard many sermons throughout my life that used Job's wife as an example of a lousy wife, and rightfully so.  But I want to say something GOOD about Job's wife... SHE STAYED WITH JOB!  So tragic nowadays, is the skyrocketing divorce rate.  We are living in a SELFISH generation.  People have grown extremely intolerant of each other these days, being filled with worldliness and selfish pride.  It is the depth of wickedness for any wife to abandon her husband in the dark hours of life, i.e., in the "for worse" times of a marriage.  Every married couple exchanged vows on their wedding day--promising to STAY with each other--through good times or bad times, in sickness as in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, 'til death do us part." 
 

Selfishness

So many people today have becoming liars, even breaking their wedding vows to God and their spouse.  I worked with a Catholic man years ago, who had the insane idea that his wedding vows weren't held accountable by God since he was married in City Hall instead of a Church.  He was very wrong.  Jesus plainly taught in Matthew 5:33-37 that all vows are held accountable by God.  If you make someone a promise, God will hold you fully accountable to keep that promise.  Unlike everything else today, there is no disclaimer in one's wedding vows.  So many marriages today aren't based upon love; but upon covetousness (i.e., financial gain), sex, social status, an unexpected child, security, etc.  These types of marriages are doomed from the start to fail, because there is NO genuine love.  Such relationships are CONDITIONAL upon each spouse's performance in the marriage.  When one spouse falls short of the other spouse's expectation--they abandon and divorce.  This is so wrong!  This is not what God intended marriage to be, and is certainly NOT true love. 

There is nothing any more selfish than for a man or a women to abandon their spouse.  I know a so-called "Christian" woman who looked her Christian husband in the eyes after 18 years of marriage and said for the first time, "I don't love you anymore."  The man cried.  She abandoned him months later and filed for divorce.  The man was devastated, not knowing how to face tomorrow.  He tried to reconcile but she refused.  She just abandoned her husband, with no regard for God or her marriage vows.  She was extremely SELFISH.  Oh how the tears will flow at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

God Will NEVER Forsake Us!

Divorce is a sin.  Many people today seek to JUSTIFY their divorce on the grounds that their marriage was a mistake, and never should have been to begin with.  This is a copout!  I'm sure that many men who enroll in the armed forces feel that they've made a big mistake after a few weeks; but they stay and honor their contract.  What if, while you were being operated on in surgery, your doctor felt that he had made a mistake in becoming a doctor and just walked out the door--with your chest cut open?  But you say, "That's absurd!"  Is it?  Aren't you doing the same thing by breaking your marriage vows, and quitting on your spouse?  Thank God that salvation is NOT conditional upon our own works (Romans 4:5).  Salvation is of God, and we have no part is saving ourselves.  All God asks is that we believe on Christ as our Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 10:13).  Once we receive Christ as our Savior, trusting upon His blood to forgive our sins, then we are saved FOREVER (John 3:16).  God has PROMISED in Hebrews 13:5 never to leave nor forsake His children (i.e., all those who have been born again).  What a wonderful promise!
 

Hats Off to the Husbands and Wives Who Honor Their Marriage Vows by STAYING!

I have tremendous respect for the husband or wife who STAYS when all hell is breaking loose in a marriage--when the bills are piling up, when health fails, when frustrations arise, when beauty fades, when the job becomes almost unbearable, when tragedy strikes, when life takes a turn for the worse, when friends betray, when life becomes monotonous and dreary--when the sky seems to be falling, and the walls are closing in around you!  There is not a marriage on earth without problems.  In a marriage, two people see the worst in each other.  Don't be too critical of your spouse--people are people, and all people fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  We are all sinners (1st John 1:8-10).  It's so easy for struggling married couples to focus on greener pastures--a seemingly happier life--with less stress, less burdens, less arguments, less pressure, less worries, etc.  Wouldn't it be great if we could all just WALK AWAY from our burdens, problems, enemies, and debts--just walk away and forget about everything!  Man, where do I sign up?  King David felt the same way... "And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest" (Psalm 55:6).  Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way.
 

Job's Wife STAYED!

Job was a very wealthy man--a respected man, with a wife, a big happy family, crops, livestock, a home, servants, and a strong faith in God.  We read in Job 1:1 to 2:9 that God allowed Satan to test Job.  Job lost everything--his wealth, his own sons, his servants, his crops, his livestock, his health, and yes... even his wife's support.  BUT, I want you to consider that Job's wife also lost her wealth, her sons, her husband's health, and her life as she knew it.  Oh the burden that Job's wife carried.  I dare say many Christian wives today would do any better than Job's wife.  I doubt sincerely if I would have been as understanding as Job (Job 1:22).  Job and his wife lost nearly everything; yet, and please don't miss this--Job's wife STAYED!  I commend Job's wife for staying with her man. 
 

Ingratitude and Disloyalty

Back in Bible times, women didn't skip town and run to the nearest women's shelter or apostate religious organization for help to ESCAPE from her problems in marriage.  It's become an epidemic in America!  Just as a thief in the night, many women abandon their husbands, leaving him holding a heavy bag of responsibilities and burdens, and then causing him great financial loss in addition.  This is a sore evil in America!  Women nationwide have been programmed to seek refuge in shelters when they want to escape the unhappiness in their marriage.  These godless organizations often adhere to feminist agendas, showing wives the incentives to divorce, and are one of the primary causes of divorce in America.  I'm not against legitimate shelters trying to help abused women and children; but far too often these free services are exploited by rebellious wives who seek to escape their responsibilities, and to hurt their husbands.  Job's wife didn't skip town--SHE STAYED.  It's unfair to hardworking husbands, who endure the frustrations of the workplace year-after-year, when their "homemaker" wives selfishly walk out the door and file for divorce.  There is little loyalty anymore in people. 

I'd would much rather be married to a wife who gets mad and curses at me once in a while; than to be married to a selfish woman who walks out the door and quits.  I would much rather be married to a woman who wears pants, smokes cigarettes, and drinks beer; than to be married to a lazy, lying, conniving, good-for-nothing woman, who abandons when there is trouble.  As far as I'm concerned, Job had a good wife because SHE STAYED!  There is no greater quality or loyalty that a wife can have for her husband than TO STAY!