How to Love Your Wife
Learning to Love Your wife
A country farmer was taking his new bride home after their wedding ceremony. It seemed so romantic as they chugged along the road by horse-drawn carriage. As they rolled along through a meadow, without permission, the horse slowed, then stopped to nibble on some grass. The farmer stepped down from the wagon, walked in front of the mare, and slapped its snout with an open hand. “That’s once!” he said.
They continued on their way, horse obeying faithfully, until it saw another succulent clump. Despite the farmer’s efforts to control its actions, over it went for a snack. Once again the farmer got down from the wagon, but this time he walloped it with a closed fist.
They continued on their way to wedded bliss on the farm, but apparently the old nag hadn’t yet learned its lesson. It couldn’t resist the temptation. Over to the side it went once more. When it stopped for the third time, the farmer pulled out a rifle from under the seat, pointed it at the horse’s head and pulled the trigger. With a crack like thunder, the horse dropped dead in the road.
To this point the bride had been silent, but she could hold her peace no longer. “Why did you do that?!” she screamed. “Who will pull the carriage now?!”
“That’s once.” he replied.
This is humor worthy of “The Taming of the Shrew.” It is based on the idea that it is the man’s role within marriage to gain the upper hand that he might suppress his mate. It’s a concept doomed to failure on the basis of logic alone, as well as being contrary to Godly ideals for marriage.
1 Peter 3:7-12, in the Bible, teaches that:
Husbands should value their wife’s opinions, after all, it is God’s intention that two joined in marriage be wiser than the two apart. When opinions differ, God’s hope is that partners will sharpen each other’s minds by learning from each other’s perspective, rather than one riding over the other in dogmatic, authoritarian headstrongness.
Husbands are to apply their strengths to make their mate’s life easier. In this sense, leading involves serving, rather than lording it over the other – committing oneself to meet the needs of his wife.
Husbands are to pursue harmony with their wife – initiating communication and reconciliation.
Husbands are to be sensitive to the wife’s emotions and moods. The toughness of masculinity ought to be limited to physical strength and tenacity of character, rather than characteristic of his emotional and spiritual nature.
Husbands ought to exercise appreciation and good manners, not only in courtship but in their day-to-day married life.
The life calling of husbands, concludes 1 Peter 3:9, is to praise, not punish their wife. Build her up, don’t tear her down.
Understand her and work in cooperation with her, rather than manipulating her.
Wives are responders
Most women are responders, so give them something wonderful to respond to. Be the leader in setting the tone for your marriage. As a husband, plan to be the leader in setting a positive tone in your marriage and home.
Husbands should invest in the beauty of their wife
When guys marry gals they usually delight in their beauty. This is so very evident in the awe grooms express as their bride appears at the end of the aisle and slowly approaches with pageantry and poise. often there are tears of delight and whispered endearments. Husbands who commit themselves to enhancing that beauty inside and out improve exponentially their prospects of perpetuating it on into old age.
Husbands should invest in the happiness of their wife
Husbands who treat their wife with genuine delight invest wisely in the future happiness of their mate and their marriage, and give their children a good example to help them develop the same when they commit themselves to another.