Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 26, 2017
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Ephesians 5:22-23
Husbands need the support of their wives. Of course, it works both ways, as the wife needs to feel the support of her husband, but for a man, support is huge. A God-fearing husband knows the Lord has placed him in a position of leadership. It is overwhelming sometimes because he can feel squeezed by the pressures of life. The last thing a husband needs to feel is distance or distrust from his wife. Wives, your encouragement may be the only thing that is preventing him from giving up, so do not underestimate the strength of your support. Your affirmation is valuable and powerful for the ongoing success of your husband. Men are not as self-sufficient as they may seem.
On the outside he may seem invincible, but on the inside he is needy and desperate for recognition and validation. A man needs to know his wife trusts his decision-making and his ability to provide for his family. Her confidence in him propels his self-confidence to higher levels. Your belief in your husband builds him up to believe in himself. It is difficult for a man to rise any higher than the opinion of his helpmate.
Men long to be built up by their brides, so brag on him in public and confront him in private. Look to your husband as the leader God has placed in your life. Pray for him to lead lovingly and wisely. Be patient, so as not to usurp his authority when things are not getting done. Trust him with God, for He can handle him. Give him over to God and trust in the accountability of the Almighty. Sometimes a man needs to fail before he can be successful.
As a husband, it is imperative in God’s sight that you lovingly lead your wife and children. You may feel your wife is more qualified, smarter, and more spiritual. These all may be very true. However, God’s plan is for you to take the position of leadership in the home. She is looking for you to do whatever God has told you. Prayer is your mantle of responsibility. See it as a privilege to enjoy and not an obligation to tolerate. She will trust you more and more as you remain trustworthy.
It takes time to overcome a track record of distrust. Remain in the process of listening to God, following His commands, and then leading your family to do the same. There are days you don’t feel like leading or even listening to the Lord. Life can be overwhelming. It can get you down to the point of wanting to walk away from all your responsibilities. But by grace, you carry on in your commitment to Christ, your wife, and your children.
It is foolish to flee from your responsibilities as a husband and father. Fools give up, but God has you in this position so you can learn about Him and His plan for you and your family. Do what He says with passion and abandon. It may mean moving to another country. It may mean downsizing for a season. It may be organizing a family vacation. It may mean planning the calendar and budget for the upcoming year. Men, love leads. Love follows God and leads his family. Give your wife the assurance that you listen to and follow God. She will respect you and trust you for this. Wives, support your husband in ways that make him feel supported. Wife support is life support. Pray he will lean into the Lord’s call on his life in love and humility:
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I lift my man to You that he would become Your man by Your grace.Application
How can I respect my husband in a way that encourages him and also honors the Lord?Related Reading
Deuteronomy 1:15; Proverbs 31:23; Luke 11:43; 1 Timothy 3:2-4 Today’s reading is taken from Boyd’s most popular book: Seeking Daily the Heart of God, a 365 day devotional.Post/Tweet today
Men long to be built up by their brides, so brag on him in public and confront him in private. #WisdomHunters #wifesupportWorship Resource
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When a husband deliberately, repeatedly, defiantly does things to shatter the wife’s trust, it is irresponsible of the wife to continue to support him. Rewarding bad behavior is not going to make it go away, & putting up with it is self-abusive. I have a huge problem with men who quote Ephesians 5:22-23 & then abdicate their responsibility as husbands & fathers, using scripture to bully their wives.
Dear Lynne,
Thank you for your response to “Ways a Wife Can Support Her Husband”. My feeling is that when one of our readers responds, she may very well be speaking for others that share the same thoughts. So, I appreciate your concerns and would love to address this.
The author of this devotional, Boyd Bailey, never encourages women to stay in abusive relationships. As a loving husband and a father of four grown daughters, he writes his devotionals (always with God’s leading), that encourage healthy, strong and loving relationships, based on scripture. I am emailing 3 past devotionals of Boyd’s that addresses struggles in the area of abuse in a marriage, that I hope will clear up your concerns.
I think I can safely say, speaking for our Wisdom Hunter’s team, that we completely agree with you when you said “I have a huge problem with men who quote Ephesians 5:22-23 and then abdicate their responsibility as husbands and father, using scripture to bully their wives”.
With that being said, please let me suggest, if not for you, then perhaps for any of our readers going through an abusive marriage, please seek counseling right away from a licensed counselor. Their objective discernment can clarify solutions and help someone caught in this cycle.
There is an interesting article on emotional abuse in the marriage on http://www.christiancounseling.com. (www.christiancounseling.com/blog/uncategorized/is-emotional-abuse-grounds-for biblical-separation).
I will also email you the three past devotionals of Boyd’s I mention before that speaks to the issue.
Again, Lynne, I thank you for bringing this up. If you would like to discuss it further, please let me know. gwynne@wisdomhunters.com
We are thankful for you and look forward to hearing from you again.
Believing and trusting~
A Sister in Christ,
Gwynne
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
Proverbs 4: 23
This is a beautiful reminder. God Bless
Thank you Ericka. We are grateful that you enjoyed the devotional.
May God bless you and yours.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Dear Amy,
I am so glad you found this article helpful and I know Boyd will be blessed by that. Please take a moment and look at the Wisdom Hunter’s website
http://www.wisdomhunters.com and click on the “DEVOTIONALS” link to research any past devotionals on this subject as well. As someone who has known Boyd and his wife, Rita for several years, I can assure you “I feel like what he says is true” is absolutely right! His love of God shines through his life and his marriage to Rita.
So very thankful for you and please share any of the Wisdom Hunter’s devotionals with others.
Merry Christmas, Amy, to you and yours.
Believing and trusting,
Gwynne
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and the were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”
Luke 2: 8-10