Feminine Appeal and a Clean House

This summer, I'm rereading Carolyn Mahaney's book called Feminine Appeal in order to study it with my Women's Bible Study small group. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. You will be filled with encouragement and conviction as you read through the pages.
Mahaney focuses on Titus 2 and the seven virtues she extracts from that passage. To begin the book, Mahaney gives a general overview in chapter 1, and she gives the reader a very challenging assignment in the discussion questions at the end. She urges the woman reading to approach her husband and ask him which of the seven virtues she most lacks and needs to give the most attention.

The seven virtues upon which Mahaney focuses are loving our husbands and children, self control, purity, working at home, kindness, and submission. I was not very excited about asking Ryan where I lacked expertise, but, like a good student, I did my homework.


I was surprised and not surprised by Ryan's response. I think most husbands would talk about working on better loving them, submitting to them, or, most popular, adding some more time in the bedroom. Ryan, however, went right to working at home. He loves clean, organized, sparkling surroundings. He is microorganized and thrives when his surroundings are organized in every way too. I, on the other hand, am clean and macroorganized. I can deal with some piles--if they aren't unsightly--and I am temporarily pleased with just putting messes in closets and drawers. Having a new baby at home hasn't helped the issue either. I am pleased as pudding when I get a load of laundry done, the kids fed and bathed and dinner on the table.


I realized in this discussion with Ryan that his priorities need to be my priorities. He loves an obscenely clean house, so I should love an obscenely clean house. Needless to say, my goal and accountability lately has been to better clean the house. I'm making small baby steps to better prioritize my time so that I can do this.


Now, how about you? Do you have the courage to ask your husband what is important to him and what he wishes you could do better as a wife? It's a great exercise in humility and self-discipline!