Melanie Chitwood
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NAS)
Can you remember the last time you poured out your heart thanking God for your marriage and thanking God for your husband? Sometimes just the routine of everyday life can rob us of having a grateful perspective when it comes to our husbands. As life gets busy and stressful, it’s easy just not to take the time to let our husbands know they’re appreciated.
Think about the little and big things your husband does. Is he great with the kids? Does he help around the house? Does he work steadily and consistently? Does he have a great sense of humor? Is he good with the finances? Pray for God to show you one specific quality for which you can tell your husband ‘thank you.”
One area where my husband really needs to hear my thanks is in the area of his work. My husband needs to know I do not take for granted his hard work each day. I need to verbalize my thanks over and over and over. I also need to teach my children to be thankful for his hard work. They need to hear me thanking my husband, and they need to realize it is because of his hard work that we have many of the material comforts that we have.
Sometimes I’m surprised when my husband has told me he feels unappreciated. Inside I feel thankful for him, but I just haven’t done a very good job of expressing it. A man who feels unappreciated is like a balloon whose air has escaped. When he feels unappreciated, he might also feel defeated and unmotivated. These feelings then lead to a man who feels like he leads a life of drudgery. A wife can help “fill his balloon” with her words of appreciation.
Let’s take time this month to be purposeful about having thankful hearts for our husbands. Let’s take time to thank God in prayer and to thank our husbands in ways that will encourage them. Check out the application steps below and put one into practice today.
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me my husband. Give me Your perspective of him. Help me to fill him up with verbal thanks and affirming actions which will fill him up with encouragement. Give me grace to overlook his faults and shortcomings, just the way You do for me. Help me to partner with You in loving my husband. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood
For more marriage tips, visit one of our partner ministries at www.growthtrac.com
Do you know Him?
Application Steps:
At some point we’ve probably sung, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” This is a great idea for your marriage! Keep a thankful journal where each day you write down five things you’re thankful for about your husband and/or your marriage. Be as specific as you can. For example, instead of thanking God for a husband who is “great with the kids,” thank God for a husband who wrestles with the boys, prays with them, and plays sports with them.
Each day tell your husband thank you for something specific about his character or something specific he does for you or your family.
Let him “overhear” you telling someone else how much you appreciate him.
Have your children make a thank you sign or write a thank you note to their dad.
When he comes home at the end of the work day, thank him with a warm smile, hug and kiss and promises for more later.
The minute he walks in the door don’t bombard him with questions, complaints and reports of your day and matters with the kids. Let him unwind.
Bake his favorite treat or make his favorite meal.
Tell him every day, “I love you” and “I’m so glad I’m married to you.”
Reflections:
Have I gotten in the bad habit of taking my husband for granted?
Am I concentrating on my husband’s shortcomings rather than his strengths?
Are you focused on what you think your husband is doing wrong, or on what God wants you to do?
Power Verses:
Philippians 2:4, “…do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NAS)
1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another…” (NAS).
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NAS)
Can you remember the last time you poured out your heart thanking God for your marriage and thanking God for your husband? Sometimes just the routine of everyday life can rob us of having a grateful perspective when it comes to our husbands. As life gets busy and stressful, it’s easy just not to take the time to let our husbands know they’re appreciated.
Think about the little and big things your husband does. Is he great with the kids? Does he help around the house? Does he work steadily and consistently? Does he have a great sense of humor? Is he good with the finances? Pray for God to show you one specific quality for which you can tell your husband ‘thank you.”
One area where my husband really needs to hear my thanks is in the area of his work. My husband needs to know I do not take for granted his hard work each day. I need to verbalize my thanks over and over and over. I also need to teach my children to be thankful for his hard work. They need to hear me thanking my husband, and they need to realize it is because of his hard work that we have many of the material comforts that we have.
Sometimes I’m surprised when my husband has told me he feels unappreciated. Inside I feel thankful for him, but I just haven’t done a very good job of expressing it. A man who feels unappreciated is like a balloon whose air has escaped. When he feels unappreciated, he might also feel defeated and unmotivated. These feelings then lead to a man who feels like he leads a life of drudgery. A wife can help “fill his balloon” with her words of appreciation.
Let’s take time this month to be purposeful about having thankful hearts for our husbands. Let’s take time to thank God in prayer and to thank our husbands in ways that will encourage them. Check out the application steps below and put one into practice today.
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me my husband. Give me Your perspective of him. Help me to fill him up with verbal thanks and affirming actions which will fill him up with encouragement. Give me grace to overlook his faults and shortcomings, just the way You do for me. Help me to partner with You in loving my husband. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood
For more marriage tips, visit one of our partner ministries at www.growthtrac.com
Do you know Him?
Application Steps:
At some point we’ve probably sung, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” This is a great idea for your marriage! Keep a thankful journal where each day you write down five things you’re thankful for about your husband and/or your marriage. Be as specific as you can. For example, instead of thanking God for a husband who is “great with the kids,” thank God for a husband who wrestles with the boys, prays with them, and plays sports with them.
Each day tell your husband thank you for something specific about his character or something specific he does for you or your family.
Let him “overhear” you telling someone else how much you appreciate him.
Have your children make a thank you sign or write a thank you note to their dad.
When he comes home at the end of the work day, thank him with a warm smile, hug and kiss and promises for more later.
The minute he walks in the door don’t bombard him with questions, complaints and reports of your day and matters with the kids. Let him unwind.
Bake his favorite treat or make his favorite meal.
Tell him every day, “I love you” and “I’m so glad I’m married to you.”
Reflections:
Have I gotten in the bad habit of taking my husband for granted?
Am I concentrating on my husband’s shortcomings rather than his strengths?
Are you focused on what you think your husband is doing wrong, or on what God wants you to do?
Power Verses:
Philippians 2:4, “…do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NAS)
1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another…” (NAS).
Labels: Gratitude, Marriage, Relationships
9 Comments:
This was such a great devotional. It is sometimes very easy to overlook all of the great things someone does for us. It's time to begin thanking them and making them feel appreciated.
This devotion hit home this morning. I've been so angry at my husband lately that I haven't taken the time to appreciate the good things about him. Letting go of my anger and loving him as God loves me will help me to understand that I've fallen short too, but God never gave up on me. So, I need to extend that grace to my husband.
Thank you so much for this devotion!! It was exactly what I needed this morning! I had just gotten up from quiet time asking the Lord for help in this area. It was wonderful confirmation.
Thank you! We do thank my husband but it's time we find a new refreshing way to do so. Thank you for the ideas.
Thank you for this much needed reminder. I just called my husband to thank him specifically for putting more water in my beans this morning so that they wouldn't burn up. It was a simple action from him that saved me some frustration and I gave a quick emotionless thanks. I could hear the smile in his voice and his spirit lift with my simple phone call. He even gave me a "heartfelt" I love you. The Lord has truly blessed me. Thank you God.
Carrie
I thank you for this devotion. It was just but meant for me!!! I was shocked with myself, when truthfully I answered yes to all the questions in the 'reflection' section. Oooooh! Heavenly Father please forgive me and please heal me in this area.
As so many others said, thank you for this great reminder. I have been so busy seeing my husband's faults lately that I have not taken the time to see all the good that he does! I don't have to do any laundry and very little cleaning because he does it all. I need to remember to focus on those things instead of the little things that irritate me.
Thanks again, and God bless you all.
I will be honest and say I know why God took me straight to this web site. This is all about me. I am so glad that I listen to K-Love. I would have never found this website. I am so guilty of not saying these things enough to my husband. Thank you so much ladies for all of your wisdom.
I do give thanks to God for my husband and he loves his family. Sometimes he thinks he over plays too much with the grand. You know what, the playing will be the memories the babes will have later. We are blessed with the tight hugs and laughter and discipline. Many do not have that homey love at all. Thanks! For this devotion at this time. We will take more time out and let him know his love is appreciated.
Post a Comment
Home