Love your husband challenge

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails

The love verse..... Most of us are familiar with this verse. We have heard it at Church, we have read it in our Bibles or on Hallmark cards. This verse might have been read at our wedding ceremony. It is a verse that makes us feel good and all gooey inside. Is this a verse that calls you to action? Well it should. This month we are challenging you to love your husband, the way God wants you to love your husband. For the next four weeks we will take one verse and challenge ourselves to do what it says.

Click here if you missed week 1

Week 2:  Love It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

• Love does not dishonor others -  Other translations say, “it is not rude” and “it does not act unbecomingly ”.  Opposite of dishonor - honor, respect, esteem.  

Love esteems and honors others. It is empowered to do so even when the other person does not “deserve” it. Love never fails.    

How can we esteem and admire our husbands this week?  

• not self-seeking  Love does not seek out and insist its own way. 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

• not easily angered   Love does not irritate or provoke others to anger. 

Rom 10:19 NIV - Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."

Eph 6:4 NIV - Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1           

• it keeps no record of wrongs  Love does not calculate and tally up all the times it has been wronged and suffered. Love looks up while laying down and releasing all the pain, injustices, and brokenness at the feet of a faithful Savior. Therefore....

 ... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3

 How can you love your husband by honoring him & putting his needs before yours this week? 

Here are a few ideas:

1. Hold your tongue!  (James 4&5)  Do not complain or say negative comments this week. 
2. Build up and strengthen your man.  Be intentional to verbally appreciate, honor, and admire him daily. Write him a note sharing you are thankful for him.
3. Examine your ways and apologize if needed. Do you seek your own way? Do you speak to your spouse with harshness provoking anger? 
4. Forgive and move on. Is the slate clean or are there past injuries that keep getting brought up?  You can’t completely move on if the past injuries are still in the present; however; you can commit to forgive and put an “action plan” in place that can help you move forward. Pain takes time to heal. By God’s grace we can forgive forgive the deepest hurts. Depending on the relationship, reconciliation is not always healthy. But when it is important remember reconciliation takes two people and time.  

If you have any other ideas and/or examples please share them with us!

Make sure to join us next week for our week 3 challenge!