Let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
—1 Peter 3:4 NASB
SOMETHING MOST WOMEN DO NOT REALIZE IS THAT regardless whether they work or not, their husbands are wired to provide for them. In a recent survey, men were asked whether, given a circumstance where their wives earned enough to support their family’s lifestyle, they would still have a need (the actual word was compulsion) to provide for their families. Of the thousand men responding, 78 percent responded “Yes.” Another shocking revelation from the survey showed that the majority of men work long hours or travel out of love for their wives. They do not enjoy being away from their families, but rather see this as an act of sacrificial giving for their loved ones.1
Alexis silently looked at the building as her husband parked in front of the entrance. On Monday morning, the financial institution would be alive with people busily settling themselves into their new workspace like hundreds of nesting penguins on a rocky shore. She smiled, thinking that in two days, all her husband’s employees would be carrying and setting down their boxes of supplies, recreating their own work spaces. For now, however, the desolate parking lot reflected none of the activity to come, but rather made their one car appear lonely on the dark night.
Alexis and Mitch walked to the front doors; he punched his code, and they entered the building.
“Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour,” he said to her. Walking through the lobby, meeting rooms, large conference center, and customer service cubicles, Mitch talked excitedly, letting her know his plans for the organization, and Alexis listened to him eagerly.
“And this is where my office will be,” Mitch explained, opening the door to a fairly good-sized room on the top floor. The dark cherry desk and bookcases looked lovely with the green walls. She could see the park across the street through the window and noticed a familiar object on the sill. She walked across the room and picked up the porcelain knight, turning it gently in her hands.
“I wanted to see it every time I walked into this office,” Mitch said.
“I’m so proud of you,” Alexis began. “I can’t believe all you’ve accomplished in the last five years!” When Mitch had taken over the organization several years back, it had been close to bankruptcy, and now, even in a challenging economy, profits had skyrocketed and they had built a new home office. Alexis remembered the day she had given Mitch the knight. He had been engulfed in a particularly difficult two-month period, restructuring the organization to make it more efficient. “Don’t forget whose army you march in, and thank you for being my knight in shining armor on a daily basis,” she had told him as she handed him the box with the knight in it.
That evening, she noticed him move the knight repeatedly around the main floor of their home. “Mitch, what are you doing?”
“I want to see it both when I leave for work and when I get home. It reminds me of what you really think of me and that my work is for the Lord,” he replied.
Now, looking at the knight standing on the window sill of Mitch’s company’s new building, she was pleased to see the statue still spurred her husband on to do the next thing.
“Congratulations, honey,” she said warmly to him. “I’m so proud of you!”
BOTTOM LINE: Find ways to encourage your husband and build him up instead of tearing him down, and you will help him accomplish his dreams.
SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
1. When have you taken the opportunity to celebrate a success of your husband?
2. What tangible evidence of your respect and admiration could you present to your husband?
3. What would be your goal in doing that? How would you deal with his potential lack of favorable or enthusiastic response?
Today, your dare is threefold. Challenge yourself to complete these tasks in order, by the end of the day:
• Write yourself a brief letter, reminding yourself to pay attention only to pleasing God instead of seeking earthly reward and recognition from other humans. Write as though you were speaking to a younger, newly married woman about her relationship with God being more important than her relationship with her husband.
• Seek an opportunity to give a gift to your husband—search online for a knight, sword, medal, etc., which you could give him that would be a reminder of his manhood and of your admiration for him. If you are unable to afford something, take a small piece of paper to place in his wallet and write a short note explaining why you view him as your knight in shining armor and what he or his position means to your family.
• Ask God to help you remember to live your life for the audience of One on a daily basis.
