God puts people together in marriage–for mutual encouragement. An encouraged husband makes a great life partner–he’s more positive, responsive, and better equipped to work and serves your whole family.
You have an incredible ability to “make or break” your husband’s day or week–or decade–by what you say and do. Here are a few ways to stand by your man and make him feel as though he’s the greatest.
Say thanks.
If you find it hard to come up with ways to encourage your husband, saying thanks is a great place to start. Thank him for holding open a door, picking up the newspaper after he’s finished, or tucking your kids into bed.
Know your man.
What are his strong points? His weak ones? Become an expert on your spouse.
Maybe your husband’s a wonderful father. Or maybe he’s a good financial provider.
Develop a sharp eye for noticing small steps in positive directions, then encourage your husband in them.
Search for significance.
God created us with a deep desire for meaning and significance. Maybe his significance is the kids or maybe your husband finds meaning in his job. So show interest in what goes on at his workplace: What challenges does he face, what new projects is he involved in, what goals must he meet?
If you’ve never talked to your husband about why he thinks God put him in his job and in your family, ask him!
Dare to dream with him.
Is there something your husband always longed to do when you were first married, but he’s stopped mentioning it now that you’re busy with bills and kids and ministry demands? What’s his dream for the future?
Your support in listening to his dreams—and even enabling a few to come true—communicates your respect. Dreaming together is like marriage insurance: You’re blending your hopes for a shared future.
Be on his side.
Keep thinking of you two as a lifelong team. So when your husband has a problem, it’s your problem, too. A husband longs for this kind of companionship—to know he’s not alone.
Get off your agenda and onto his.
We get accustomed to organizing our family’s weekly menus, schedules, social calendars, and errands. So sometimes it may be hard to let go of the reins and let our husband “drive” some of the family time. Yet it may be as simple as starting one Saturday with a flexible attitude, prepared to rearrange our tasks and errands around his plans for the day.
Nothing shows our love and respect more than backing off to give our husband’s plans and ideas some room to develop.
Be available for physical intimacy.
If you are coming together physically, it’s a good sign you’re working well as a team. It’s a signal (an encouragement!) to him that he’s doing fine at home.
Don’t wait for your husband to “deserve it.”
Maybe your husband takes you for granted. Maybe he never says thank you. So what I’m asking—for you to encourage and respect him anyway—seems like something requiring superhuman strength.
Here’s the good news: There is superhuman power accessible to help you. Ask God to give you his love for your husband. Ask God to help you see one or two good aspects in your husband you can praise and respect.
e the one to set a new standard for encouraging words and behavior in your marriage. God will honor your efforts, and your husband’s going to love it!
ANNETTE LAPLACA, a freelance editor and writer, lives in the Chicago area.
Source: Kyria.com
