We meet Sarah (Sarai) in Genesis 11:29 and in verse 30 are told simply,
"[She] was barren; she had no children." In the Middle Eastern
culture, Sarah's dignity was directly tied to her being married and
having babies. Since she was childless, she would not have risked
staying behind without her husband, no matter how unsure she may
have been about Abraham asking her to leave Ur. There was nothing
but shame for Sarah in Ur without Abraham.
And conversely, there was nothing in Canaan for Abraham without
Sarah. It was out of Sarah's infertility that God would perform
one of His most awesome works the miraculous birth of a nation comprehension of the chew-' em-up-and-spit-' em-out reputation of
churches where ministers are concerned. Na'ivete is not always a bad
thing especially when knowing all the details could result in being
too fearful to take the leap into God's plan for your future.
But what part do you play in what God is asking your husband
to do? Has God called you in the same manner as him? My short
answer is to state plainly that every wife has the God-given role
of being a faithful helpmate no matter if her husband is a banker,
a mechanic, or a schoolteacher. However, there are unique challenges
and more assured uncertainties for the wife who has the
high charge of supporting a man directed to leave the familiar
behind and follow God's call into the unknown. What are some
of those challenges, and how should we who find ourselves in this
situation react? Let's learn from someone who has gone before usAbraham's
wife, Sarah.
