My teaching is based on Titus 2:3-5 and this is what verses 3 & 4 say:

“Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in their behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, and SO TRAIN the young women to love their husbands and children…”

Those very words seem to tell us that real life and marriage isn’t exactly like the fairy tales say, “They married and lived happily ever after”. No, in real life it takes hard work and relying on the Lord and the direction he gives us for marriage in his word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us how we are to receive this training. “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction AND FOR TRAINING in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete for every good work.”

What is the good work we are talking about here?

Loving husbands

Raising godly children

Being the heart of a warm, godly and loving home

I passed out some sheets that had words on them by Sharon Ries that were very important. [Editors Note: these words not included] By believing and putting this truth to practice you free yourself up to just love your husband. That truth is that your husband, Christian or non-Christian, cannot meet your deepest needs. Only Jesus can do that. Don’t expect that from him.

In one of Dr. Dobson’s monthly newsletters a question was asked, and the answer to that question ties in with the truth we just stated. “What do you consider to be THE greatest threat to the stability of families today?”

His answer:“It would be a phenomenon that every marriage counselor deals with regularly. The scenario involves a vulnerable woman who depends on her husband to meet her emotional needs and a workaholic man who has little time for family responsibilities. Year after year she reaches for him and finds he is not there. She nags, complains, cries and attacks him for his failures – to no avail. He is carrying the load of three men in his business or profession and can’t figure out how to keep that enterprise going while providing what his wife needs. As time goes by, she becomes increasingly angry, which drives him even further into his workday world. He is respected and successful there. And thereafter he is even less accessible to her. Then one day, to her husband’s shock, this woman reaches a breaking point and either leaves him for someone else or files for divorce. It is a decision she may live to regret and one that often devastates her children – although by then the marriage is long gone. It was such a preventable disaster, but one that thousands of other families will be victimized by in the coming months.”

I shall read out loud also a portion called “Expectations” from Ruth Bell Graham’s book Its My Turn.

“By not laying heavy expectations on your husband you also free him up – to be a husband, father, and grandfather – who is “playful” and who can help build memories. It is a chain reaction when we do our job as the wives God intended us to be.”

As I first prepared this lesson years ago the ink ran out in my Word Processor. I put in a new cartridge and it still wouldn’t work. I tried and tried and finally put in another cartridge that I had on hand. It still wouldn’t work. I became very frustrated and finally thought of saying, “When all else fails read the instructions.” I did read them and it said to clean the new cartridge head when replacing it. I did that and it worked. It made me think of this lesson. For it is the same principal with husbands. I would hate for you to throw one away, get another one and it doesn’t work because you are not following the instructions. God gave us a plan and instructions as wives and it is found in His Word, our precious Holy Bible.

Every Christian woman wants to be married to a strong Christian man.

1. Mature in his relationship with God

2. Who leads the family in love for the Lord

3. Has love for his church

But much of his spiritual growth depends upon his wife – part of what it means to be ‘one’ person.

Our attitudes, emotions, weaknesses and strengths affect our mates, as though they were their own. Many women work against the very goal they want.

We need to be aware of what builds up and what tears down a man’s relationship with God.

Don’t fall into the trap that Eve did. Her husband lost power because of his wife’s influence.