I shall be talking about “Encouraging the Spiritual Growth of our Husbands.” I think we hear more about encouraging women who are married to unbelieving husbands. But I am going to start with talking about the woman married to a strong Christian husband.

Just as we know there are problems that come with poverty and problems that come with riches – just different types of problems- so it is being married to a strong Christian husband or a non-Christian husband. The woman married to a strong Christian man must face and deal with certain issues just the same as the woman married to a non-Christian husband.

I remember Robbie, a Young Life leader whom we loved very dearly and who was praying for a Christian husband. She finally married a Christian man and has been happily married for over 20 years. But I remember a statement she made when she was first married. She said, “I prayed for a Christian man – now what do I do with him?”

Perhaps a young woman dreams of marrying a Christian man – but one who works 9 to 5 and is home every evening, helping with the children and with whom she has long talks each evening by the fire.

But more often than not, the Christian man, especially one involved in a Christian ministry of some kind, is just as passionate or more so about his work, than the young executive trying to climb the corporate ladder.

More people are ‘needing’ him because he is able to help them.

He is often ‘in front’ of people more, open to sometimes embarrassing a shy wife.

We have been involved with Young Life in many various aspects over the years, and have seen the lives of wonderful godly men, who were doing great things for the Lord, fall apart as their marriage turned to shambles and their children turned away from God. Many times because daddy just wasn’t there. He was so busy meeting the needs of other people’s children and other families that his own were neglected.

I can’t believe this is God’s plan for those in ministry and service of any kind to the Lord. But it takes much wisdom and courage for these men to do all they feel they should in their ministry and all they should be as fathers and husbands.

I am including a quote from Dr. Dobson in answer to the question, “What has been your greatest challenge as a father? What did you learn from it?”

“I certainly made my share of mistakes as a father. Like millions of other men of my era, I often had a tough time balancing the pressure of my profession with the needs of my family. Not that I ever became an ‘absentee father’, but I did struggle at times to be accessible as I should have been.”…..“My father, who always served as a beacon in dark times, saw what was happening to me and wrote a letter that was to change my life. First he congratulated me on my success, but then he warned that all the success in the world would not compensate if I failed at home. He reminded me that the only way to build their faith was to model it personally and then to stay on my knees in prayer. That couldn’t be done if I invested every resource in my profession. I have never forgotten that profound advice.”

There are many things we can learn from the story in 2 Samuel 6:12-23 in regard to our lesson on being married to a strong Christian man. The story is about Michal, married to a very strong man of God, King David.

Perhaps we can look at Michal’s behavior towards her husband in the same way we read the stories about the Bernstein Bears, and see some examples of how NOT to behave as a godly wife.

What can we learn from Michal’s mistakes? And what were her mistakes?

1. She threw cold water on her husband’s service to God.

2. She did not share in his joy.

3. She stood on the side lines despising him, not encouraging him or worshipping with him.

4. She thought he was a little too enthusiastic and a little fanatical about his religious business.

5. She was embarrassed by his behavior. So certain he had made a fool of himself.

6. She gave him much constructive criticism.

7. She thought it her duty to straighten David out. Polish him up a bit abd make him a more proper person. (She didn’t stop to think that maybe God liked him that way)

8. She didn’t allow David to share his joy with his family abd her sarcasm was a slap in his face.

9. Verse 23 implies their marriage relationship fell apart or else was an answer from God.

What God is doing in your husband is a serious thing and not to be taken lightly. Do not judge the work of God in his life – support it.

Allow your husband to rejoice in the wife of his youth. Proverbs 5:18,19 “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely hind, a graceful doe. Let her affection fill you at all times with delight, be infatuated always with her love.”

May we be the wives God would have us be, so that we can encourage our husbands to be all that God would have them be.