WOMAN: THE HOME DEFENDER

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

When you hear the word STEWARD the first thing that cross your mind is the word servant. Servant in this case do not mean the least important. Just as we have civil servants….they have very important persons among them: directors, permanent secretaries etc

So a servant can be a person of very high standing….. Now, every SERVANT or I may say every STEWARD has a function or functions and office they occupy. And to every office there are expectations and standards expected of the occupiers of that offices.

In the which if he or she fails to do, or do not do well or lazy at doing, those things expected of his/her office, it can be said that steward or servant has failed.
If you are a driver, if that is your stewardship, then drive well, work to preserve lives in the vehicle you are asked to drive. Others in the vehicle may doze off or sleep on the journey but the driver must not and cannot sleep while he drives.

Same is a director, if that is your stewardship, then direct well. At the end of the day, it’s not the functions or the office that count really BUT your ability to have effectively, and efficiently carried out your stewardship. That is where FAITHFULNESS comes in. You will be remembered, not for the job, but for how you effectively did your part.

So at every assignment, have this in mind, you have two main categories of persons to honour if you do a good job:

1. God, as believer in Him.
2. Your family, that believes in you.

Whatever you do and however you do it, yourself, your spouse, your children, who are your immediate family members’ pride and honour will be affected, either negatively or positively. Never forget that.

Now let’s come to ourselves as mothers of nations, Home Defenders….hmmmm…thats a big NAME….with big responsibilities. You can’t afford to be like other women….who will do anything in exchange for fashion and money and hold no serious value for their families but you are Home Defenders. Your home first and other homes that matters to you.

So as Home Defenders, when we talk of faithful stewards start from the HOME. But its not simple as it sound, a lot are expected of each one of you as wives and mothers.

Its a pity that many women are wonderful in their churches, they are top church workers or I will say, church servants or officers but all at the expense of their families. A Home Defender won’t let that happen, your stewardship starts from your HOME. A faithful steward, great Home Defender begins by being a faithful WOMAN, a committed WIFE even when married to an undeserving man. It is not how the director (husband) of the office (family) behave but how she has determined to do and effectively carry out her role and defend her HOME.

Now, let me answer 3 questions…

1. Who’s is a steward?
2. What’s are the duties of a steward?
3. Timeless examples of stewards?

Let’s begin with the first one:

Question 1. Who’s a steward?

A steward is a servant, as we earlier said. A messenger entrusted with values of high worth (properties, situations, lives or just anything of great worth). A steward is an ADMINISTRATOR. One of the greatest values you have been entrusted with is….

1. Your spouse, and
2. Your children.

I bet you, you don’t want to fail in either of them. These two makes up what you call “MY FAMILY”. Remove any one of them, a part of you will be missing. We are in an age where women have forgotten they are administrators. I think on the first day of these lectures, we were told God’s purpose for the WOMAN, that she was made to be:

a. To be an HELP MEET – Gen. 2:18.

b. To be a MOTHER, that was why Eve was called the mother of all living – Gen. 3:20.

These are your two primary functions as a WOMAN. You can speak in tongue, be a pastor of a large church, or be a big boss in your office, it will all sum up to zero, if you failed God in the two areas mentioned. Your effective service in these things are what makes you a faithful steward.

Question 2. What are the duties of a steward?

a. A steward strives to safeguard the trust committed into his/her hands. You know the two trusts God has committed into your hands as already discussed both as a Woman and as a Home Defender.

b. A steward WAIT on his or her master and as a believer your Master is God. You will one day submit your file of service to Him.

c. A steward SERVES while waiting on and for the master.

Women please wait on God and serve Him by serving your family
Many women are failing already don’t join their long list. The social media is not helping much but if you know what you have been entrusted with and the values they are to you and to God then you won’t get distracted. No family problem or situation is unique, we are all under the same cloud, so don’t let anyone or anything make you feel your case is different and you are all alone.

Whatever you may be going through, so many thousands of women are going through same, you are not alone, a lot are managing theirs well. So ask God to help you manage yours in a way your family will still come out great.
Don’t try to go by popular idea, take care of your own, give no room for the devil.

Question 3. Are there timeless examples of faithful stewards?

Joseph had problem, yet he stayed faithful….Gen. 39: 21-23. It’s not just his story but the tenacity, even when the odds were bad.

Hannah had hers in 1 Samuel chapter 1 but by chapter 2 she was praising God. In-between the two chapters she stayed faithful and was rewarded.

Eunice and Lois raised a great son, their husbands and the roles they played were never mentioned but it was said these two women raise a son that was the envy of a great apostle, Paul as stated in 2 Tim. 1:5.

Before I close this piece, let me shock you. Do you know all a woman need to raise her children, with or without the supports of a man, is in her? So “my husband is not responsible” may not be a tenable excuse if you fail. You can be an apostle of great motherhood, you can be a good WOMAN, A great WIFE and a blessed MOTHER whose children will one day called BLESSED – Prob. 31:28.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE A FAITHFUL STEWARD and if you are so blessed you have a supportive husband, as an added advantage, then to whom much is given, much is required as well. God is looking for women whose children He can use in science, in politics, in the church and even in business world etc.

I think yours can be one of them but that depends on how you do your service as a steward. I hope you make a wise choice in Jesus Name. Amen. Thanks for having me. God bless you very richly. Amen!

A lecture by Olumofin Kehinde Benjamin, originally presented on the WhatsApp platform of Home Defenders, a women only family based online Group based in Abuja, Nigeria, created by Mrs Adelaja Deborah.