UNCOMMEN HusbandsVoorbeeld

“UNCOMMEN Husbands are Thermostats, not Thermometers” [Illustrations included in this devotional are not visible in this view. Illustrations are only supported in the Bible App for iOS, Android, and at Bible.com] I have a gift. I can take my wife’s emotional temperature from across the room. When she is hot (and I don’t mean ready to slip between the sheets with me), I seek a cooler climate, perhaps on the deck with an iced tea. When she’s cold, I look for a warmer personality - like a TV - to keep me company. Paul says, “cherish” our bride like we cherish our own bodies. The word means, “bring warmth to,” and from which we derive our words, thermal and thermostat. Unless you are in Seal training, you instinctively “cherish” your body. If it’s too hot outside, you put on your sandals and crank up the AC. If it’s too cold, you don the merino wool socks and build a fire. When Paul tells us to love our wives as we love our own bodies, he’s encouraging us to cherish their emotional needs in the same way we cherish our own physical needs. If she’s chilly, it’s our job to warm her up. If she’s steaming, then we help lower the mercury. In other words, the call to cherish means we have to engage when we’d rather shrink back. Whenever I sense a slight irritation with my wife, my tendency is to pull away. But if I get a tiny sliver in my finger, my whole body springs into action. My nerves shoot pain warnings to my brain; like missile lock, my eyes fix on the problem; my legs halt any movement; my other digits dig out the intruder. Proportionally the sliver affects a small surface area, but my whole body responds. I wish that was true in my marriage. When a sliver of bitterness or frustration gets between us, rather than initiate, I let it fester. Paul says earlier in this letter, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26) because when we let stuff fester the devil uses it to destroy relationships (4:27). This doesn’t mean stay up and fight - but rather to resolve issues quickly. It’s common to avoid conflict. But Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the conflict avoiders,” he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt. 5:9). UNCOMMEN pursue peace at all costs. Is the temp off a bit in your relationship with your wife? Time to adjust the thermostat. Be UNCOMMEN. Check out simple tips, ways, and challenges to deal with conflict in marriage at www.uncommen.org. Submitted by UNCOMMEN coach: Brian Goins