Are you ready ladies?
Fall for your husband all over again!
Practice:
Fidelity
Affirmation
Listening
Looking for the Lovable
Last week we examined fidelity.
Let’s dive right into AFFIRMATION.
Affirming our husband has great power for our marriages.
Don’t you love receiving a pat on the back?
I think it is safe to say we all love receiving kind words for a job well done.
Affirmation, however, is more than a “pat on the back.”
We affirm our husband when we “validate or confirm them.”
Now, think back to Genesis 2:18 where,
And the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.'” (NKJV)
As a wife, we were created to be a helper to our husband.
As his helper, we have the role to validate and confirm our husband.
We were created to this (and much more)!
A definition of affirm from Webster is “to state positively.”
As my husband’s helper, speaking positively to him, and others (including our children) about him, I encourage my husband to good works.
The contrary would also be true.
If I speak unflatteringly to my husband (or about my husband) I am not being the helper that God created me to be. In fact, speaking this way only separates me from my husband.
Ephesians 5:33 says,
Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Here we have instruction as wives to respect our husband. An important way we show respect to our husband is by affirming him.
Now you may be thinking that this affirmation stuff is all great for my husband but how does that help me fall for my husband all over again?
Glad you asked!
The benefit to us as wives in affirming our husbands can be found as our husbands heart is stirred for us.
Our husbands will begin to appreciate our positive encouragement and confirmation of their hard work and/or sacrifice.
This will renew the love he has for you and spark that love that endeared you to him in the first place.
Your perspective of your husband will change and your esteem for him grows.
In other words, as you practice affirmation you remember all the reasons you love your hubby and often find new ones!
Here is a challenge for you (and me) this week:
1. Find two ways or areas where you can affirm (state/speak positively to) your husband. Then put it into practice.
2. Write down how your husband blessed you as a result of his actions (the actions that you are recognizing with affirmation). Then meditate on these things. Let these bless your heart and stir the love you have for your husband so it can grow and deepen.
We all need affirmation. Give it this week to the one with whom you are committed. Your love for your husband will be renewed and it will even stir his love for you!
I call this a win-win situation.
Love,
Kim
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