10 Ways to Love Your Husband

The next few weeks our church is doing a sermon series on the home. My husband and I also just returned from a marriage conference our church held in New Harmony, Indiana. It was so nice to have a little weekend getaway and to bring back some great ideas to continue bettering our marriage.

This all comes at a great time because we recently celebrated our two year anniversary. Over the past two years I have learned a lot about what it means to be Godly woman and wife and how I can continue loving my husband even better.

1. Respect Him (Ephesians 5:33)- This doesn't mean respect your husband when he deserves it. This means ALL THE TIME. Marriage is a cycle. Woman need love to show respect and men need respect to show love. Show your husband you respect him and get the cycle going. This doesn't mean make him think you agree with him when you don't, but communicate your thoughts or feelings in a respectful way. 

2. Leave Your Father & Mother (Genesis 2:24) - God calls us to leave our father and mother. In order to have a good marriage, you have to be able to leave well. This means when you have a problem, talk it out with your husband. When something in the house needs fixed, trust your husband to take care of it. Even though as little girls we look up to our daddy's to take care of us, when we marry our husbands they want to be the ones to take care of us. So let him. This is another way of showing him respect too.

3. Speak Words of Kindness (Proverbs 31:26) - I think the hardest thing to remember about this is not only speak words of kindness to him, but also to your friends and family. It does no one good to gossip about your husband and tear him down to his face or behind his back. Make it a point daily to say something kind to your husband. (Maybe that he looks nice, you appreciate him doing something for you, etc)

4. God, Husband, then Kids (Colossians 3:18-21) - In that order. If you are a Christian then God should be first in your life. After him should be your husband and then your kids. I imagine some people probably disagree with this. However, in order to be able to parent together well your marriage must be first. Also, once your children are grown and on their own it will just be you and your husband again. You want to be able to still have a marriage, a best friend, when no one else is there. If you make your children first priority over your husband, its going to be awful lonely when they are gone. (This is not to say that you don't take care of your kids by any means! I just mean take the time to spend time with your husband and invest in your marriage.)

5. Show Him Love & Affection (1 Corinthians 7:3-5) - One of the greatest gifts God has given us as husband and wife is the opportunity to be intimate with one another and on a regular basis. It's SO important to understand and appreciate how your spouse views intimacy in order to make it both enjoyable and beneficial for you both. It's often something that couples have trouble talking about, but take the time to do so. Although when we hear intimacy when typically think physical intimacy, it's also important to be intimate by just spending real quality time together (with no distractions). Communicate and talk about your feelings, ideas and dreams together. Read some verses in the bible and pray together. Schedule regular date nights and offer to do things your husband enjoys doing.

6. Let Him Lead (Ephesians 5:22-24) - It's often hard for us to let our husbands lead us and our family whether it be spiritually, with parenting, budgeting, etc. However, God calls us to be submissive to our husbands and let them lead us. Pray God would give your husband wisdom on how to lead and you encouragement to let him. Encourage him when he is making great choices and ask how you can support him.

7. Be Willing to Forgive (Ephesians 4:32) - Our husbands deserve forgiveness just like we do. Whether it be because he left his clothes in the floor again or he said something he shouldn't have. Forgiveness is the only way to keep resentment from building in your marriage. Ask God to help you forgive your spouse on a daily basis.

8.  Fight Well & Talk it Out (Proverbs 15:1) - When we are arguing with our spouse the first thing we want to do is get defensive and prove we are right. What if instead, you really take a minute to try and understand why your spouse is angry with you. I am good at apologizing to my husband, but not talking it out. I have realized that the only way we are going to get things to change for next time is if we talk it out, respect the other ones feelings and be willing to change ourselves too.

9. Divorce is not an option. (Matthew 19:3-6) -You said "for better or for worse" on your wedding day. God brought two individuals together and made them one. Therefore, the only one who should make you two individuals again is God (Til death do you part). With God's help He wants you to have an awesome marriage and one that will bring glory to Him. If you have been divorced in the past, then allow God to forgive you and make your new marriage one worth fighting for.

10. Choose to LOVE. (Proverbs 31: 10-12) - This goes along with #9. You may think you are no longer in love with your husband, but love him anyway. You may think you are not attracted him anymore, but love him anyway. Of course there are going to be bad times, that's why we said our vows. Choose to love him anyway, because your marriage is worth it and your husband is worth it!


BONUS: PRAY FOR HIM!! Today is December 1st. Take the time each day this month to pray for your husband. Use this LIST, if you wish, as a guide to have something specific to pray for him about each day.

Hopefully in the near future my hubby will be writing a post on how husbands can love their wives even better! Stay tuned...