I really enjoyed reading today’s message from my daily devotional, Girlfriends in God (See http://www.girlfriendsingod.com). One of my struggles is controlling my tongue…and one of my hopes for myself this year, is that I will be better able to control my words; to use my words to uplift and enlighten instead of pulling down (I tend to do this to make others laugh…as though barbs are any less painful because they are funny).

Ephesians 4:29-32: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”.

So, unto the day’s devotional message.

Words Can Captivate Your Man by Sharon Jaynes
(My devotions will focus on marriage for the month of February. If you’re not married, I encourage you to read them anyway! And while you’re reading, pray for your friends that are married. Believe me, they will appreciate it. Also, give a special blessing by passing these devotions along to them! Here we go…)

Today’s Truth

“A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies,” (Proverbs 31:10NIV).

Friend to Friend

Today, I want you to use your imagination. I want you to imagine your husband sitting at his desk or at a quiet place at work. Imagine him lost in thought about how blessed he is to have you as his wife. He holds your framed picture in his hand and moisture begins to pool in his eyes. He is captivated.

All the riches in the world are not to be compared with the jewel I have in this woman, he muses. What did I ever do to deserve her? God has given me such a gift. All our married life, she has done nothing but love me, bring out the best in me, and look out for my best interest. All the guys at the office are envious of our relationship. I see the way their eyes soften when she comes by just to tell me hello, grabs my hand when we’re at office functions, or pecks me on the cheek for no apparent reason. I notice that her loving words to me are in stark contrast to some of the cutting remarks of other wives…and so do my friends. I look around at the accomplishments of my life, but having this woman as my wife is my greatest. Oh sure, there are many women out there in the world who are accomplishing great feats, but my wife…well, she surpasses them all.

What a picture! That’s the woman I want to be, don’t you? And amazingly my words can be the determining factor as to whether this scenario is possible or not. Did you know that there are words your husband longs to hear? Let me give you a few from my book, The Power of a Woman’s Words.

Words Your Husband Longs to Hear

I’ve been thinking about you all day.
What can I do for you today?
How can I pray for you today?
The best part of my day is when you come home.
You are one of God’s most precious gifts to me.
You are so wonderful.
You look so handsome today.
I don’t feel complete without you.
I will always love you.
I trust your decisions.
Today, pick just one of these phrases. Try it out on your husband and watch his eyes light up! When you love your husband well, God says “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

Let’s Pray

Dear LORD, thank you for giving me the gift of my husband. Help me to never forget that one of the greatest places of ministry is in the home, and that You are well pleased when I love my husband well. Help me to love my husband with my words and my actions today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Just as there are words that your husband longs to hear, there are words he doesn’t. I don’t think God looks at us and says “Well done,” when these words come out of our mouths. Here are just a few:
I told you so.
You’re always in a bad mood.
You just don’t think.
It’s all your fault.
What’s wrong with you?
All you ever do is complain.
I can’t do anything to please you.
You made your bed, now lie in it.
You should have thought about that before.
You never listen to me.
Now, go back up the list in the devotion. Which list more reflects the words that you speak to your husband?Which list do you want to reflect the words that you speak to your husband? Is there anything you need to do to change?

I enjoyed reading this message, although I am not married yet, I understand that we women have a real responsibility to uphold and uplift our spouses. The world can be very difficult to men, and I really believe your role as a spouse is to be the greatest cheerleader, the listener, the advisor and sometimes even his pillar. This is why it is so important for women to walk close to God, the responsibility we bear for our husbands and our homes is so great. You can’t do it on your own, you need God’s wisdom and guidance. I also took Sharon Jaynes advice to pray for married friends…I started praying for friends in relationships as well. We all need this wisdom. It is frightening to imagine that you can short-change, limit and even truncate your destiny by aligning yourslef with the wrong partner. See the story of Samson, for instance. Samson was made for so much more…and then he aligned himself with a bad woman and it all came to nought. I will write a proper post on that story very soon, I’m just about to reread the story in the book of Judges…Lawd, I love me some Samson!