Your honor

The word of God struck me again this morning.


Backfill. A missionary friend of mine encouraged his readers and supporters to try a Bible reading plan where you read the same book of the Bible every day for twenty days. Not just part of the book but all of the book.  Tough to do with Jeremiah unless you have scads of time or are a fast reader; I whiff on both. These past twenty days I have anchored in 1 Peter. One of the fundamental verses for understanding God's heart for husbands is in that letter. In case you're a first time visitor to this blog:

"Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."

~ 1 Peter 3:7

As I rode to work on the most pristine morning north Texas has seen this year, I wished that I had reworded the question. Try this on. "Honey, do you feel that I have dishonored you in any way, word or deed, in recent memory." The wording of the question does a couple of things.

If she says yes with follow on instances as support (hoping for few), she is not stating that you implicitly dishonored her but that what you said or did made her feel this way. It doesn't accuse your intentions or indict your character even though both may be worth such. Also, in focusing on the dishonoring, it's not tooting your horn or giving you reason to puff your chest for the things you are already doing, but it's giving you as a husband specific areas to work upon where you may be falling short.

So, husband, give it a whirl. Man up and thicken that skin. If it surfaces some deep hurts, you might be in for a torrent of emotion. Bear it. Keep your cool in love and listen through and past the emotion to the truth therein contained. You are a man. Lead her well.

You may think she does not deserve honor. You are wrong. If she is a believer, she is a coheir of the grace of life, and that makes her a princess, the daughter of the King of Kings. If she is an unbeliever, she is still his creature and created in his image. As the wife may win the unbelieving spouse through her godly conduct (3:1), so, too, might you. Let her see Christ in you as you love and honor her as the weaker vessel.

A good verse for a Monday morning to prod husbands (read: me) to love their wives! 

God pounds upon me through this verse everytime I stop to listen. This morning, honor kept pounding in my head. I looked up from my Bible and turned to my woman. "Tracy, I don't want you to answer right away but to think on this. Do you feel that I honor you in word and deed?" By the way, she's still mulling it and her answer will remain between her and me. Nice try.