Tag: Men

3 Ways to Honor Your Husband

 

Being Different is Good

One of the best things about being married to my wife is that we are different in so many ways. We think, act, and see the world differently. This is a good thing because God created us and has used our differences to strengthen our relationship. We each have different needs in the marriage.

Men and women in general are different. While individually we may have needs that differ from person to person, there are usually some similarities when it comes to what men and women need.

Honor & Respect

One of the top needs for men is honor and respect. The Bible says:

Ephesians 5:33 (CEV)
So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.

Notice it doesn’t say respect your husband the way you see on social media. It doesn’t say respect your husband the way your friends respect theirs. There is no qualifier here. The Bible simply says respect your husband.

Men Gravitate

Men tend to gravitate towards the areas that they are receiving honor and respect. If honor comes from work, then men will pour themselves into their careers. Climbing the corporate ladder and advancing begins to consume them. If it comes from other women, then they will gravitate towards those women. For every married man, honor should come primarily from their wife.

Here are three ways that women can honor and respect their husbands:

3 Ways to Honor & Respect

1. Let him be imperfect. Men are not perfect. Not a big secret there, but somehow things change when we enter a relationship. The expectation of the perfect man can pop up when we say, “I Do.” Women can damage their marriage by trying to prevent their husband from making mistakes. They can try to correct him or tell him what to do.

A better approach is to allow your husband to learn through his failure. Let him make a wrong turn. Now don’t let him be self-destructive, but allow him to be imperfect. Supporting him and helping him will strengthen his love for you.

2. Let God be the enforcer. Wives, it’s okay to speak up when your husband does or says something that you disagree with. Your marriage should be equal and you should have a voice. But once you’ve said what you want to say, remember it’s not your job to change him. That’s God’s job. Pray for your husband and trust God to change his heart and mind. The movie “War Room” is a great example of this.

3. Honor the man you want him to be. Treat your husband better than he deserves. What do you see in your husband? What attracted you to him? Honor him at that level and watch him rise to it. Wives can be the biggest cheerleader or harshest critic of their husband.

Marriages thrive in an atmosphere of praise. Women are you more likely to complain about your husband’s failings or praise him for one of his strengths?

One of a man’s most important needs is to have honor and respect. Are you honoring your husband?

P.S. – Don’t worry ladies, next week there’s something coming for you too!!

2 Steps to a Growth Plan

Do I need a Growth Plan

I was recently watching a video on YouTube by Terri Savelle Foy. You can watch it here. In the video she was talking about a personal growth plan. It got me to thinking about my life and wondering if I really have a growth plan.

I can say that I have parts of what could be a growth plan. I have dreams and goals written down that I would like to accomplish. I’m working on them, but I don’t know if I have a specific plan for my growth.

Why is it Important?

You may be in the same mode of thinking that I am. Well, I’m about to change my thinking and I believe that you should too. Why is a growth plan important? If you’re like me, your life by societal standards, may be pretty good.

Jeremiah 29:11(KJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

This is the scripture that I think of when it comes to growing. There is a desire in me, that I don’t want to be the same person that I am now in 5 or 10 years. I think that is the first step to a growth plan.

1. A  Desire

Personal, spiritual, and mental growth doesn’t happen just by chance. There must be a desire in us that wants to be better. The scripture in Jeremiah tells me that God has a plan for me too. I would rather pursue God’s plan for my life than anything that I could plan for my life. So as we pursue God, we begin to see His plan and His track for our life.

The Enemy to Growth

The enemy of growth is comfort. People all around us settle in all different areas. We settle on our jobs, because we think there are too many politics involved. Settling in our marriages because we’re comfortable with the routine that has been established. We settle personally because we don’t see a need to be a better person, when by societal standards, we’re a decent human being.

None of these things matter or compare to what God has for us.

Isaiah 55:8-9(KJV)
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God has a plan for us. A plan of peace and His goodness. There has to be a desire in us to see that plan come about in our lives.

2. Action

You have a Great Idea

How many times have we had a great idea. Something that we thought could change the world. Well it would at least change our world. The idea creates a desire in us. The more we think about it, the more we’re convinced that it would help others and ourselves. A week goes by, then maybe a month and now we’re struggling to remember that great idea we had.

I’ve been there so many times, with so many different ideas. The problem is that we don’t capitalize on those ideas and desires. We have to allow those ideas and desires to cause us to act.

Even little steps are steps towards your dreams. Take advantage of those moments of inspiration and use them to propel you toward something special.

This is how our lives will change. This is how we grow!

What areas do you want to grow in?

Are there ideas that you’ve let slip by?

I’d love to hear your story.

Should You use a DateBox?

My wife and I recently received a Datebox as a gift. If you don’t know what Datebox is, it is a service that gives you “Everything you need for a fun and creative date delivered to your door”(Datebox.com) . There are different activities and new opportunities in each box. You can sign up for a paid subscription, and they have different plans that are available. You can check out the plans for yourself at www.getdatebox.com.

This isn’t a technical review of Datebox, but more of me just relating my experience and then for you to make your own decision. I’m sure that there are other services like Datebox, and as I come across them, I’ll be happy to share my experience with you.

Contents

Our Datebox included: 2 blank canvases, brushes, and acrylic paint. There were also conversations starters and the ingredients to make cake pops with a Spotify playlist to set the mood.  We started making the cake pops so that they could go in the oven, while we prepped to paint. With our favorite music softly playing in the background, and a blank canvas in front of us we got out our painting materials and let our creative juices flow.

Communication

While we painted, we used the conversation starters. We started with one of the cards which then encouraged us to share our hearts with each other. These types of games can seem trivial, especially if you have been together with your spouse a long time. However, when you approach with a heart seeking to enjoy the experience, you can learn something new or remember some things you may have forgotten over the years.

Datebox datebox
After the cake pops were done, we let them cool and ate a couple of them. They were a little sweet for our taste, but I enjoyed the overall concept.

Connection

Could a Datebox or a service like Datebox be beneficial to you? I believe that it can be. It can help all types of couples. For those that have been together for years, it can be something fresh and new to do together.  Couples that are newly married or dating it can be a way to solidify your relationship. For the married couples with kids, it can be a way to have some quality time after the kids have gone to bed.

We enjoyed the Datebox that we received. It will be stored in the back of our minds as something we can add to our list of dating options.

Have you guys tried Datebox or other services? What were your experiences?