Loving Your Husband Well By Lisa JacobsonSample

Day Seven

Bragging Rights

Scripture: Proverbs 16:24

It’s important to express love for your husband, but it’s also powerful to tell him how much you like him. You like being with him. You like how God made him. 

It’s easy for your husband to convince himself that you “have” to love him. You’re married, after all, so you’re supposed to love him. But like? That can be an even stronger statement.

So many guys have grown up never feeling “liked.” Perhaps they’ve carried a childhood experience with them long into adulthood. Maybe they talk about it. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they haven’t even acknowledged it to themselves. But I’ve heard my husband share that he didn’t feel very liked when he was growing up. And it made me incredibly sad to think of him as a young boy, not feeling that people enjoyed being around him. 

Initially, I thought perhaps this experience was unique to my husband. But whenever Matt mentions this around a group of men, he finds there are many more out there who’ve had a similar experience. Who still carry it with them. 

It doesn’t matter how old your husband is, he wants to know he is liked. By you.

He also needs to know that he can always count on you to speak well of him in front of others. That he doesn’t have to be concerned about what you’ll say next to other people. That you’d never look for that little laugh—at his expense. That he can trust you. 

Because you have your husband’s heart. It’s in your hands and not to be treated lightly or carelessly. He needs to know his heart is safe with you. 

Sometimes, as wives, we can forget that his heart is in our keeping. We have this incredible privilege to look after him—in public, as well as in private—and that’s something to take quite seriously. 

So freely brag about your man. Let him hear you chatting about the things you like about him. Shout to the world that you’re his biggest fan. Point out his strengths and gifts as you have the opportunity. 

Tell him that he can count on you to speak highly of him. 

Always. 

Do you ever find yourself teasing your husband in public or putting him down in front of others? When would be a good opportunity to build him up in front of others?