Encouraging Your Husband

"Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." - Proverbs 16:24

We know more than anyone else (except maybe a sibling or parent) how to push our spouse's hot buttons. We need to learn how to stop. How many Marriages have broken down due to the two people who vowed that they loved each other cutting each other to the core with the power of negative words. What if one of the partners just stopped. I know how hard this is first hand and no I am not able to "hold my tongue" every time but when I do I can see the heat defuse from the argument.

"A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire. "
-Proverbs 15:1

The only way that this change has happened over the 10 years of my marriage is with God's help. I could not of my own will with my temper control the response that I have to my Husband and family when they would prod me.

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." -2 Corinthians 10:5

Take captive every thought! To me that means that when I feel my blood start to boil because of some little thing my Husband has done or said that bothered me the reaction I have can set the course for the rest of the day, week, year! That is a powerful tool in your Marriage! Now lets choose to use that knowledge to say a kind word to our Husbands at that moment. Encouraging our Husband builds a strong foundation for a Marriage to stand on and the effect it can have on his response to you may be a pleasant surprise.

- Ruminate on what he does wrong

-Tell him he is lazy

-Re-do everything he tries to do to help you (in front of him)

-Make him "The Enemy"

- Complain about him to family and friends

-Nag him about silly things like socks on the floor

- Do his favorite "thing" :)

-Be on His Team

-Tell him your glad to be his wife

-Pray for him

-Make his favorite meal (if you are the cook) :)

-Just say "Thank You"

-Ruminate on what he does "Right"

-He is NOT the Enemy

-Just pick up his socks! :)

Will you choose today to read some of the resources I have included here to further encourage you to be the first person in your relationship to wave a white flag against a stubborn temper that only increases strife? It is really easy to do. Try just saying Thank you to your Husband for something today. Thank you for being here for our children. Thank you for going to work everyday. Thank you for any little thing that you notice that he does to help. Start replacing the I told you so's, the why did you do that's? Choose to say nothing at those moments and then say Thank you and I Love You every day for a day, a week, a month. We can do this challenge together and see the intimacy and compassion return to our Marriages!