How do you deal with temptations when you travel? Conversely, what is your behavior when you are the spouse left back at home? Is your house a palace of peace, or a prison of confinement? Not only must the weary traveler be wary of wrong behavior, but so must the one left ‘holding down the fort’ at home.

Perhaps as a couple you craft together guidelines defining what you will, and will not do while separated by travel. Distance can grow the heart fonder and more faithful, or it can fire the flames of lust and infidelity. If you travel for your work, you most likely are motivated to meet the needs of your family. However, every assignment is for a season. So, maybe it’s time to get off the road and reconnect with your child who is approaching their teenage years, or be there more often for your spouse because she is starved for extra emotional support. Always be willing to adjust to the situation.

Moreover, do not drift into travel temptations that become divisive and deteriorate your marriage. One boundary may be to avoid bars and be back at your room soon after work and dinner. A righteous routine on the road gets the right results. Make it a priority when at all possible to travel with another person of similar values.

Always be bold by becoming an influencer of integrity: good, clean fun without flirting with sin. On the other hand, your role in the marriage may be to daily support the children and manage the home. Take pride and not pity during this season of unselfish service. By God’s grace you are molding their minds to the things of Christ, and how they can influence the culture with His Kingdom priorities.

You are as valuable as the one out working to provide for the family, since you are working to preserve the family. Stay occupied in prayer, bible study, their school and being available for those who need you. Marriage is a team effort that sees outstanding outcomes when you are both on the same page of love and obedience to Christ. Travel temptations are terminated on both ends through trust in the Lord, and trust in each other.

The Bible says, “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him” (Psalm 22:8).

What behavioral boundaries do I need to co-create with my spouse related to our time apart?

Related Readings: Numbers 5:11-15; Isaiah 46:6; Luke 12:39-46; 1 John 3:9

In September give the gift of wisdom and receive a gift of wisdom: Sign up five friends, click: http://bit.ly/q4217i for the free daily devotional. Then email rita@wisdomhunters.com your mailing address and we will send you a complimentary copy of the new 90-day day devotional Seeking God in the Psalms.

Additional Resource: eBooks- Wisdom for Fathers, Wisdom For Mothers, Wisdom for Graduates, Infusion, Seeking Daily the Heart of God and Seeking God in the Psalms… click here: http://bit.ly/jHlNX0 All titles also available from the iBook store for iPad

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A passive husband is a poor leader. He lacks leadership for his wife, his children and his work. His passivity may be a result of many things. He may be stuck in neutral because he feels overwhelmed. The thought of doing anything locks him down. He may be unable to function as a leader because he didn’t get his way. If he can’t do things his way, he will not do them at all.

He may be passive because his dad was passive. This is the only role model he has ever known. A man may be suffering from chronic passivity because his confidence has been crushed. He has never recovered from a traumatic event that sent him into a sequence of bad choices. Or, a man’s lack of action may be a combination of these or other reasons. He is like a turtle perpetually stuck in his shell, afraid to come out and face the realities of life. He may be going through the motions of life, but something is missing. The fire to engage life has been extinguished, or is only flickering at best.

If that describes you, it is time that you awoke from your slumber of irresponsibility. Your wife and others have covered for you long enough. You are on the verge of losing what you have worked for all these years. More importantly, the respect of your wife may be quickly vanishing, and your credibility in the community may be eroding. Now is the time to take the reigns of your responsibility and do something. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Eventually, however, you need to lead. This is your role and calling from God as a husband, a father and a man. Leaders are made, not born. Indeed, this is probably a huge faith issue for you. Nevertheless, these are opportune times to model, for those who love you, explicit trust in God. He understands your apprehensions about leadership. Your heavenly Father is your leader. You can lead, because He leads you. Lead as He leads you. Model His leadership. You cannot improve on the leadership style of Jesus.

Because He leads you as a servant, you can lead as a servant. Because He leads you with humility, you can lead with humility. Because He leads you in love, you can lead in love. Because He leads you with patience, you can lead with patience. Because He leads you with compassion, you can lead with compassion. Because He leads you with purpose, you can lead with purpose. Because He leads you with courage, you can lead with courage. Because Jesus led, dependent on His heavenly Father, you can lead dependent on your heavenly Father.

The Holy Spirit is the leader of your life. Submit to His leadership—He will move you from passive to active leadership: a leader led by the Holy Spirit. When you are led by God’s spirit, you will lead. It is as natural as falling off a log. Yes, you will fail along the way. But it is better to fail as a Spirit-led leader than to do nothing in your own strength. This requires faith, especially for a husband to take a risk as a leader. Faith overcomes fear and failure. Your leadership at times will let down your wife, but she will love you even more as she experiences your leading in love.

Giving her everything she wants is not leadership. Giving her a husband led by the Holy Spirit is what she needs. Trust God to take care of her wants. You give her what she needs. A passive husband sucks life from relationships. An engaging husband gives life to relationships. Be a life- giver by trusting God with your leadership. Lead for God’s sake!

Taken from Dose 64 in the 90-day devotional book, Infusion.

Additional Resource: eBooks- Wisdom for Fathers, Wisdom For Mothers, Wisdom for Graduates, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God… click here: http://bit.ly/jHlNX0 All titles also available from the iBook store for iPad

Additional Resource: Hard copy of the 365 day devotional: Seeking Daily the Heart of God and the 90-day devotional book Infusion… click here: http://bit.ly/bQHNIE

Releasing Labor Day weekend the 90-day devotional, Seeking God in the Psalms.

Support Wisdom Hunters: Learn how you can help us reach other Wisdom Hunters with your monthly donation… click here: http://wisdomhunters.com/support-wh/

Romance is not just for the young; indeed, it can become more robust with age. This is one of God’s ways of keeping your heart youthful. The excitement of wooing your wife or husband is an important part of God’s plan for marriage. There is nothing more boring than a marriage that has gone stale.

Like an old and moldy piece of bread, the relationship becomes crusty and distasteful without the freshness of romance. There is nothing more exciting than a husband and wife who never get over pursuing one another. Sparks fly because passion is aflame for each other. They don’t take each other for granted when romance is robust.

Romance is a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual dynamics. All three of these ingredients contribute to a romantic rendezvous. The spiritual element keeps God in the forefront. He keeps your motives pure. The motive to serve each other and to speak each other’s love language is top of mind. However, you want to please God more than anything else, even more than you want to please your spouse.

This love triangulation is healthy since you worship God, not your wife or husband. Love the Lord first, and you will love your spouse the best. Secondly, romance involves your emotions. Your best friend is your wife or husband. This is where you make your primary emotional investment. Share the depths of your heart, your fears, your failures, and your dreams. Romance thrives on friendship because transparency is a bridge to laughter, tears, and comfort. Friends do not have to fix things, but they are there for support and encouragement. Friends forgive freely and often. Friendship fuels the flames of romance.

Furthermore, romance is physical. Make sure you are easy on the eyes for your spouse. Remember how you gussied up for each other when you were dating? Some things need never to change.  Never stop dating. If you do, you risk losing your marriage or, at the very least, you’ll consign yourself to a mediocre one.

Once you catch your life-mate you have to keep them. Your pre-marriage strategy—smelling good, looking good, and tasting good—still applies. So take the time to clean up, dress up, make up, and hook up. In addition, communication is critical for romantic results. Engagement of hearts in conversation leads to engagement of bodies in intimacy. Physical intimacy goes a long way toward preventing unfaithfulness.

Children are blessings from God, but do not let children stand in the way of a romantic marriage. Work is necessary, but not at the expense of romancing your spouse. Let your calendar and your checkbook reflect time and money budgeted for romance. Plan a weekly date night or an occasional overnight away. Communicate during the day with phone calls or e-mails. Take her shopping for a new outfit. Surprise him with a romantic dinner. Mow the grass for her. Hike with him. Romance is planned and very practical.

The Bible teaches, “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:3). Make radical romance a regular routine in your marriage.

Taken from the August 5th reading in the 365-day devotional book, Seeking Daily the Heart of God

Additional Resource: eBooks- Wisdom for Fathers, Wisdom For Mothers, Wisdom for Graduates, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God… click here: http://bit.ly/jHlNX0 Most titles also available from iBook store for iPad

Additional Resource: Hard copy of the 365 day devotional: Seeking Daily the Heart of God and the 90-day devotional book Infusion… click here: http://bit.ly/bQHNIE

Releasing on Labor Day the 90-day devotional book, Seeking God in the Psalms.

Support Wisdom Hunters: Learn how you can help us reach other Wisdom Hunters with your monthly donation… click here: http://wisdomhunters.com/support-wh/