Best Practices For Wives
Happy Marriages Just Don't Happen - They Require Hard Work and Dedication. Here are 11 Christian-Based Lifestyle Tips to Help you Make Your Marriage a Happy and Successful One
Stay Connected with Your Husband
Building up the marriage relationship and staying connected is a critical discipline that must be maintained. When a desire for a better relationship with your spouse surfaces, a good place to start is curbing negative behavior.
Negative attitudes, hurtful words, and bad vibes are the precursor of wounded hearts, and lonely nights. Ultimately, bad behavior such as this will bring division between you and your spouse, and who wants to end up sad, lonely, and divided when they married for companionship, love, and unity?
We can unlearn bad behavior just as easily as we can learn good behavior, it is just a matter of setting our heart to do the right thing.
Accept God's Divine Purpose for Women
Scripture places a great deal of importance on the woman's role in the home, and esteems her position as wife and mother very highly. This most-prized position should not be regarded as meaningless, low, or having no worth, but instead, this role should be given upmost priority in a woman's life.
God has crowned women with a special task of being a nurturer, a caregiver, and a helpmeet, and this has to be embraced within a woman's heart.
Proverbs 31 shares how the husband and children rise up and praise the wife and mother of their home! The husband states, "she is far above rubies," meaning her worth is more than these costly gems.
Do you think this wife was showcasing negative behavior to warrant such praise from her husband and children? This is an interesting thought...
Promote a Loving Atmosphere
After 27 years of marriage, I've realized there are some key areas that get overlooked in today's marriage and family relationships, and, if spouses were aware of these subtle nuances that promote a loving environment, it could protect them from so many years of hurts, frustrations, and lonely nights.
Who can find a virtuous woman? "For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life" (Proverbs 31:10-12).
Unlearning bad behavior is the first step in building a stronger, better relationship with your spouse. Start by choosing to discard negative behavior, hurtful words, and bad vibes, and do your spouse some "good" and not "evil" and see if the Lord might shower blessings on your marriage relationship!
Continue Reading Lifestyle Tips for Marriage below.
1. Respect Your Husband even When You Disagree.
This is the topmost important tip to apply to your marriage - starting today. Every person deserves the right to be themselves. We each have different tastes, styles, and preferences and these should not be mocked or belittled but celebrated in marriage. God has brought two unique people together to create a new family unit, respecting the differences between you and your spouse is the first key to having a great marriage.
More than anything, husbands are looking for respect. In Ephesians 5:33, Paul writes, “let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
2. Show Your Husband Kindness and Appreciation.
When appreciation is shown for loving actions and displays of affection, it can only mean one thing: a great marriage! Knowing that your spouse appreciates the things you do and the effort you put forth into the relationship is an amazing feeling - it makes you want to do more and more! This creates an ecosystem that thrives!
When there is a cycle of giving and receiving with appreciative hearts, there is blessing upon blessing for a beautiful marriage. So, practice showing appreciation today!
3. Show Your Husband Forgiveness and Grace, as You Would Want to Be Forgiven By God.
This tip carries a lot of weight because holding onto forgiveness literally weighs you down. This weight is compounded day after day if forgiveness is not exercised within the relationship. Remember, none of us are perfect, we are all different and see things differently. Misunderstandings happen to the best of us, and usually this is where issues begin.
Letting go of grudges and hurts is easier said than done - but is necessary for a great marriage. Some grievances are very hard to overcome, but God turns all wrongs to right if we forgive and trust Him. This is the first step to healing deep wounds: forgive and trust God to make all wrongs right.
4. Set Aside Time to Truly Listen to Your Husband.
It really, really hurts when your spouse does not take time to listen to your stories, cares, and concerns. I understand! If this is your case, make it a matter of prayer, but also, be counter active, making sure you are being a good listener too. On top of that, express to your spouse that you feel loved and cared for when he does listen to you. This will appeal to their sense of worth as a person and may even open opportunities for you to share what is on your heart.
Be mindful of how much your spouse can handle and approach sensitive topics delicately. I have found if I give my husband a warning that I need to speak to him about something later, it helps him prepare for the conversation. That may sound funny, but it has worked for us over the years.
5. Remain Dedicated to Your Husband and Show Him How Much You Care.
Show your spouse you care about them by doing little actions that will mean the most to them. I know the things that will bless my husband - and sometimes, I go out of my way to make those things happen. Little sacrifices of our time like this pays off. We will begin to see the cycle of giving and receiving flow in our marriage, which always leads to blessing.
Does he need a shirt ironed? A warm breakfast before work? A yummy lunch? New clothes? Fresh baked cookies? You know your husband best, and you know exactly what will put a smile on his face and wash the stress away!
6. Always Make Time for Your Husband, Even if it is Just a Few Minutes Each Day.
Our most precious commodity is our time, and when a loved one knows you are giving them what is valued most, they feel treasured. Treasure your spouse, make him them feel special. Do those things that he loves to do and bless him with your time today.
7. Show Your Husband Affection With Warm Touches to Show You Care.
There is no way around it, a soft touch melts hearts, just like a soft answer turns away wrath. Reach out and hug your husband, massage his shoulders, rub the back of his neck, hold his hand, whatever relaxes him the most, and enjoy the closeness of each other.
8. Prepare Warm Meals for Your Hungry Husband.
This is a biggie in our world. If there is no food for dinner, there is mayhem in the house. Somehow, this responsibility for food falls on the wife's shoulders, much like the lawn care falls on the husband's. Naturally, all of us are hungry in the evening and enjoy a warm meal. Husbands appreciate this SO much! Never, ever look over this. Do all that you can to be prepared to feed your hungry man when he comes home from work.
9. Voice Your Love to Your Husband.
Your husband enjoys hearing this as much as wives do, so let us not forget to mention those three words, I LOVE YOU, and really mean it. When you are doing something together, like shopping, or going out on a date, do not forget to express, “I love doing this with you…” It warms their heart to know you are happy.
10. Pray for Your Husband.
No matter how busy you are, always make time to pray for your husband. This makes all the difference in the world. Not only will you gain perspective and understanding of your relationship when you pray, but you will bless your husband in the spirit as well. Do not overlook this spiritual power, and always make time to pray!
11. Put God at the Center of Your Marriage.
When a marriage is centered around God there is no regret, no remorse, and no more hurt, because God is involved with every aspect of the relationship. Love has center stage and hurtful, hateful actions have been displaced. The key in this equation is to remain steadfast in your relationship with the Lord. This needs to be done individually, and together as a couple. Utmost importance needs to be given to center your time, energies, and focus around the Creator of marriage, who designed the union between a man and a women to be a mutual blessing and a symbol of His love for the church.
A couple can find true fulfillment and satisfaction in the marriage if God is at the center. This can only lead to blessing upon blessing, for God ways are right. He alone is the source of our life, and all good things come from our Father in heaven. Invite Him to be apart of your marriage today, and experience the joy, satisfaction, and life-giving grace He gives to those who call upon His name.
Read Prayers For Marriages
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From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name should be praised, Psalm 113:3.