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Daily Sharing Time
by Dr. Gary Chapman
Why is communication so important in a marriage? Because it is the key to intimacy. In its simplest form, communication is talking and listening; however, unless talking and listening are accompanied by honest, loving feedback on the part of the listener, little communication takes place. In good marital communication the husband and wife each share thoughts, feelings, experiences, values, priorities, and opinions while the other listens with a view to understanding.
Verbal communication is essential in order to understand what is going on inside another person. If they do not tell us their thoughts, we are left to guess. Unfortunately, our guess is usually wrong, and we misunderstand them. That is why communication is an absolute necessity if we are to reach intimacy.
Do you have a "daily sharing time" with your spouse? Couples who have a "sit down, look at me, let's talk" time each day have a higher level of intimacy than those couples who simply talk "whenever and wherever."
For a complete listing of Dr. Chapman's books and resources,click here. |
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A Word To Wives:
Things Not To Do
by H. Norman Wright
This week, we will consider lines to avoid crossing as wives. These problem behaviors often plague marriages.
Controlling One Another
It's easy to fall into thinking you either have to control or be controlled. But God never advocates domination of one marriage partner over another. Sometimes, however, one partner ends up being smothered by the other.
If you end up letting the other person control you, the result is that you end up feeling unnecessary. Total dependence on another is not the way Christ called us to live. 
Nancy Groom, in her book Married Without Masks, states:
Adam (even after the Fall) would have been disappointed if Eve had refused to engage with him as his partner in the work God had called both of them to do. He did not need a slave; he needed a woman who knew who she was and was confident in her gifts. An alive, vibrant woman gives zest and excitement to her husband's life. He needs that.
Encouraging your husband does not mean that you become so absorbed in him that your identity and value come from him.
It doesn't mean becoming a doormat with no ideas, opinions or voice; not does it mean becoming an appeasing woman.
Encouragement is not manipulation. It's not done for the purpose of reshaping him for your own dreams, desires, or wishes. Absorption, appeasement and manipulation are actually forms of control.
Taken from Bringing Out the Best in Your Husband by H. Norman Wright. Published by Regal Publishing. Copyright 2010.
Also available, Bringing Out the Best in Your Wife. |
