"Take the Best Examples For Your Pattern"

Charles Spurgeon's Morning by Morning excerpt today was one that I felt I needed to share.  His enlightening words and challenge were derived from 1 Corinthians 10:12, which reads, "Let him tat thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." ...I will not share the entire challenge presented, but I will share the majority; the part that spoke most to me. 

"...Take heed that thou gloriest not in thy graces, but let all thy glorying and confidence be in Christ and His strength, for only so canst thou keep from falling.  Be much more in prayer.  Spend longer time in holy adoration.  Read the Scriptures more earnestly and constantly.  Watch you lives more carefully.  Live nearer to God.  TAKE THE BEST EXAMPLES FOR YOUR PATTERN.  Let your conversation be redolent of heaven.  Let your heart be perfumed with affection for men's souls.  So live that men may take knowledge of you that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him; and when that happy day shall come, when He whom you love shall say, 'Thou has fought the good fight, thou has finished thy course, and henceforth, there is laid up for thee a crown of righteousness which fadeth not away.'  On, Christian, with care and caution!  On, with holy fear and trembling!  On, with faith and confidence in Jesus alone, and let your constant petition be, 'Uphold me according to Thy word!"  He is able, and He alone, 'to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.' "

     This entire excerpt really challenged me to look to the Lord more and to study His life, that I may pattern my own life after His!  The challenge that really stuck out to me however was; "take the best examples for your pattern."  First of all, as I just mentioned, I thought of Christ as my example to pattern my life after.  Then, as I thought of my greatest examples in the Christian life, my first thought went to someone that perhaps you would not expect.  Someone young.  Someone that my thoughts turn to when I think of love and adoration, yes, but someone that most young women may not be able to think of when they think of someone who is strong in the faith and earnest in their walk with the Lord.  It should be possible for each woman, young or old, to look to this great influence as a great person of God; someone that puts Christ first in all things, putting sleep, pleasure, even themselves after time in honest prayer and petition before God.  Yes, the first person on this earth I thought of that I desire to pattern my spiritual life after is my husband.  Yes, he is young ... but he has great wisdom and desire.  I think of the great words given to Timothy; "let no man despise thy youth."  I did not simply think of my husband because I love him so much and can not get him off my mind, which is probably true as well.  But as I honestly looked at each challenge Spurgeon presented, I thought of my husband's example in his walk with the Lord.  He is no where near perfect, and who better knows that than me, for I live with him.  But he strives to please the Lord in everything he does; and I mean everything.  I must be honest and say, sometimes I take no thought of it when he says, "I'm going to go pray for a while."  I am going to strive to make it a habit to go to the Lord in prayer myself during those times and most of all thank my Father for giving me a husband so concerned with the things of God. 

     I'm honored to have a husband who wants to glorify the Lord in all he does.  I have many great examples in my life, but I am elated that my first thought goes to Christ and my second goes to my husband; what great examples for my pattern!