The Good Husband

This year at Couples Retreat we were delighted to have Pastor Jeff Hargraves from Chapmanville, West Virginia with us. He and his wife, Ginger, were a real blessing to our couples. My wife and I really enjoyed the time to pause and invest in our relationship. In one of the sessions Pastor Hargraves went through a list of verses that describes a good husband and the good wife. Take sometime to read these verses and let them direct you to be a husband that pleases God.

Dedicated to his wife’s happiness—When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business:but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. (Deuteronomy 24:5)
Satisfied with his own wife—Drink waters out of thine own cistern,and running waters out of thine own well.Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. (Proverbs 5:15-16)
Makes preparation—Prepare thy work without,and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. (Proverbs 24:27)
Sees his wife as God’s reward—Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 9:9) House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:14)
Guards his spirit—And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. (Malachi 2:15)
Submits his body to his wife—Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence:and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)
Understands his headship—But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (1 Corinthians 11:3)
Communicates openly with his wife—Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour:for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not:let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more:but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 5:25-32)
Loves his wife as Christ loves the Church—Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:and he is the saviour of the body. (Ephesians 5:22-23)
Not bitter toward his wife—Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected:for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (Hebrews 12:14-17) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (Colossians 3:18-19)
Provides for his home—But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8)
Understands his wife and honors her—Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)