I want to start off with the proverbial adage that goes like this, “The man is the head but the woman is the neck that turns the head.” Woman, what impact are you having on the man in your life?

Let us take a look at Esther 5:12-14. One can see how pompous and arrogant Haman was just from this account – his boasting. In verse 14, his wife Zeresh, and friends proceed to give him some very bad advice – yes, she is mentioned by name. Haman hated the Jews, especially Mordecai, with a passion and his main goal was to annihilate them. One cannot fight against God and win!

What would have been the outcome, if Zeresh had given her husband good counsel from the get go? One can only speculate that, perhaps, the riches of her husband’s advancement in the court of the king had gotten to her head. So it is with us women, sometimes when life is real good, we tend to forget ourselves and neglect to point out our spouses’ errors to them when they occur. This must be done by turning the “head” gently, you are the “neck’ after all (lol). We need to be aware of the influence we wield and use it very wisely. Do not be a snare or the snare that leads your spouse to destruction. Haman came to a horrible end with all his family!

Now let us contrast Zeresh’s situation with that of Abigail, the wife of Nabob. She was able to avert a catastrophe – the unleashing of King David’s wrath against the foolishness of her husband, Nabob. We read the account of Abigail in I Samuel 25. Abigail appeared to be a woman of great wisdom and resourcefulness! One wonders what marriage to Nabob must have been like? Some marriages are more difficult than others. We can all attest to that. I doubt she went about pretending that her marriage was hanky dory.

Abigail could have settled on vengeance whereupon Nabob’s destruction would have come upon her as well. Loveliness and intelligence going hand in hand. Many women cultivate beauty and neglect cultivating their minds. Abigail was a “beautiful woman with a beautiful mind” who managed to save the day.

Dear woman, seek wisdom from God. If we lack it, we need to ask Him and trust his leading. Be a helper to your mate. Men can be stubborn and set in their ways, but keep talking, prodding in a gentle manner. They do listen in the end. Be an “Abigail” and not a “Zeresh”for the times we are in. God bless you.

Yaa F. Attobrah