Dennis & Barbara Rainey Wisdom

I love this couple. They have taught me so much starting with books on raising our children and books on our marriage. If you have not found them, go to http://www.familylife.com/ and check them our for yourself. You can sign up for daily emails that are devotionals from a book called Moments With You. It is a couples devotional. Here is today's email - it is so simple yet so profound I just had to share it.

September 22
Loving Your Man by Barbara Rainey
The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.Proverbs 14:1

I often give three pieces of advice to young women before their wedding day. But because these remain just as important as we go through marriage and because they are fashioned by the Scriptures and proven by experience, I share them with you today--at whatever stage you find yourself in marriage:

Believe in your husband. This is the most valuable gift Dennis says I've given him. You know your husband better than anyone. To see his faults and weaknesses and yet to believe in your husband's God-given potential as a man and his leadership of your home does more than you can imagine for his spiritual growth.

Be willing to confront your husband in love. Too many wives mistakenly believe they are following the biblical pattern of submission by ignoring or denying deficits in their husband's life. But being submissive does not mean being silent. It simply means being wise and loving in how you approach him, treating him with kindness and respect. Say to your husband, "Could I talk to you about something?" Asking permission to broach a difficult subject may make it easier to get your message across. He is far less threatened and insecure this way.

Pursue intimacy with him on every level. Most men consider physical intimacy the most important part of marriage. I've come to learn that it is central to my husband's manhood. It's the way God made him, and it is good. So rather than resenting it, learn to appreciate this aspect of your marriage as God's design. And be willing to learn and grow, becoming God's woman for your man. It's not always easy, but with God, nothing is impossible.

Discuss Both of you should answer this one: Which one of these principles is most in need of your attention right now? Wives, what can you do to begin practicing love for your husbands in this area?

Pray Wives, thank the Lord for your man. And husbands, thank the Lord for your woman. Hold each other's hand and specifically thank God for things about one another.

As a side note, please try to see the movie "Fireproof". It starts this Friday and is going to be such a wonderful testimony of the gospel and of marriage. Please - also - look for churches who are going to have the Bible study to follow up on the movie. The church close to us is having a 6 week small group to follow up. Then, let me know what you think of the movie and of the Bible Study.

Love well!