Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

(1 Peter 3:7 NIV)

A couple had been debating the purchase of a new automobile for weeks. He wanted a new truck. She wanted a fast, sporty little car so she could zip around town. He would have been satisfied with a beat-up old pickup, but everything she liked seemed far beyond their budget.

“Look,” she said, “I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in four seconds or less. My birthday is coming up. You could surprise me.”

Well, surprise her he did. On her birthday, he proudly presented her with a brand-new bathroom scale.

Services are pending.

The humor in that story reminds us that husbands don’t always get it right when it comes to honoring and understanding their wives. Sometimes we misread or misjudge what would truly bless them. And, if we’re honest, sometimes our attempts at humor come at the cost of their feelings.

God calls us to honor our wives — to hold them in the highest regard, to cherish them as precious gifts, and to treat them with the dignity and tenderness they deserve. Make it your aim to ensure that your wife feels like the most important person in your world.  Let her know that she is the most beautiful woman in your eyes.  Guard her heart from embarrassment, especially in public. Love her sacrificially, serve her joyfully, and value her openly.

That’s not merely good marital advice — Peter says in 1 Peter 3:7 that it’s a spiritual responsibility. “Husbands…live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are.  Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.” (NIV)

Think about that. How you treat your wife affects your fellowship with God! A dishonored wife leads to a hindered prayer life.  May we, as husbands, commit ourselves to truly honoring our wives with love, humility, and understanding, so that our prayers may rise unhindered before God.

Prayer: Lord, help us love our spouses with the same grace, patience, and tenderness you show toward us. Teach us to honor one another in every word and action, so our marriages reflect your heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day