6 Ways to Build Up Our Husbands

By Darlene Schacht

http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.ca

Last night I noticed a little water on the kitchen floor by the sink, which is par for the course considering that most days our son, Nathaniel, spills far more than he drinks. But when I noticed a bulging box of Cascade under the sink this afternoon and another puddle of water beneath my feet I knew we had a leak somewhere that had to be fixed.

It wasn't too serious, but enough of a drip that I stood on towels to wash dishes and changed my socks once or twice.

The sound of my husband, Michael, tinkering in the kitchen after dinner was music to my ears. I wondered if he might be too tired or too busy to get to it this evening, but since we both know that water can cause permanent damage if it's left to soak, he wanted to get it repaired right away.

Looking at the scriptures, I'm reminded of yet another damaging drip - a contentious woman.

A continual dripping on a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike;

~ Proverbs 27:15

Contention appears in a number of ways including opposing, nagging, arguing, challenging, belittling, and competing. And why do we do it? Because somehow we think that by nagging him we're encouraging our husbands to be a better person.

It seems to makes sense at the time, but the truth is that many of our husbands - and many wives for that matter - have fragile egos that should be handled with care and respect.

In the same way that a leaky faucet can cause permanent damage, our words if left unchecked can damage our relationships and cause resentment to grow. I can't imagine what the state of my kitchen would be if we let that faucet leak for 10 years, but in some marriages that's what's happening.

Sometimes the damage appears insurmountable. Giving up, they walk away.

If this problem is going on in our marriage, we need to get in there and immediately start to make changes that work to build up our husbands rather than tearing them down. Certainly it takes the work of two people to form a strong marriage bond, but my advice to you is that we concentrate on our share of the work and leave them to do theirs.

Here are six ways we can start building up our husbands today:

 1. Listen to what he has to say so that you will recognize what's on his heart.

 2. Make an effort to be as cheerful as you were when you were engaged to be married.

 3. Ignore his faults and focus on his strong points by taking note of them.

 4. Compliment him for the way that he looks and the good things that he does like working hard for the family.

 5. See him for who he is, not who you want him to be.

 6. Be slow to anger. Relay your frustration with love, respect, and a cool head.

You are loved by an almighty God,