Guard Your Wife’s Heart Too

For previous entries in this series, see “Pursue Godly Manhood” and “Don’t Let Chivalry Die on Your Watch.”

Guard Her Heart Too

Protecting your wife includes protecting her spiritually, not just physically. To this end, a Christian husband should exercise great care in guarding his wife from the many threats to her spiritual health. As you talk about life, jobs, kids, neighbors, church members, and money, be sure that your speech does not tempt her to sin.

My wife and I communicate regularly; it is a gift in our marriage that has paid many dividends. However, I have foolishly steered many conversations away from healthy discussion to rank gossip and slander. We need Paul’s words stamped on our brains and lips: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29).

How do you know when you are failing to guard your wife’s heart? Here are some simple questions to float through your mind as you aim to use your words to administer grace instead of breeding corruption:

  • Would I say this in front of the person I am talking about?
  • Is my conscience alerting me, telling me to refrain from saying something?
  • Are my words causing my wife to become bitter?
  • Will my words point her to or away from Christ?

Bottom Line

Your wife should feel physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually safe under your care.

Application Questions

  • Review 1 Timothy 3: 1– 7.
  • What area( s) do you struggle with the most? Why?
  • What are some practical ways that you can model chivalry in your marriage?
  • What can you do to ensure that your wife and family feel safe under your care?

Excerpted from Man Up, Kneel Down: Shepherding Your Wife Toward Greater Joy in Jesus by J. Aaron White. Now available for pre-order.

Shepherd Press