how to honor your wife

How to HONOR Your Wife

What do you think of when you hear the word “honor?” Some will think of our military brothers and sisters who are fighting with honor. Others will think about their parents and how our lives honor their hard work and energy to raise us. The word honor has much weight and dignity attached to it. For those of us who are married, honoring our wives should be the utmost priority.

To honor someone means you care deeply about and respect them. Sadly, many men fail to honor their wives consistently. We talk badly about our wives to our friends when we’re upset. We look at other women online or in the real world. At times, we dishonor and disrespect our wives without even knowing it. Using the word itself, here are 5 ways we can honor our wives.

1. Hold

Make it a point to hold your wife daily with no strings attached.

When is the last time you simply held your wife or her hand? One of the greatest needs our spouses have is physical touch. Granted, not all wives are created equally. Your wife may hate being held. But most women long for someone to hold them. Make it a point to hold your wife daily with no strings attached. Don’t give her a hug expecting sex. The other way to “hold” her is to be the leader of the house. Take care of some tasks for her and let her know she is a priority.

2. Offer

Be honest: How often do you offer to do the laundry for your wife—or any other task you know is not her favorite? Offer to chip in on her routine tasks. Offer suggestions to make her life easier, not more difficult. Offer to take the kids so she can hang with some friends. At first, she might think you are up to something. But if you’re consistent, she’ll recognize your sincerity.

3. No

Learn to say no. Every time you say yes to one thing, you say no to everything else. Practice saying no in a way that honors your wife. Your buddies may want to play basketball on Saturday morning, but think about what your yes to basketball means for your wife. If it’s all good, go play and have fun with your guys. However, if it may cause conflict or frustration or stress for your wife, say no. Often the greatest way to honor our wives is to say no to something you want because you care more about her than about that desire.

4. Observe

Most men are not very good at paying attention to details. So if you want to honor your wife, be more intentional in observing her. Observe what she does, what she says, and how she interacts with others. By observing our wives more, we can serve them better. A few days ago, my wife mentioned she was thinking of getting a new curtain rod for the kitchen. Most days, this would have gone over my head. But I was trying to be better at observing. So a few days later, I got the curtain rod she wanted and left it on the kitchen table for her to find. My wife felt listened to and valued because I was paying attention.

5. Rest

God himself rested after he created the heavens and the earth. We need to do the same—it’s biblical. One of the easiest ways to honor our wives is to give them the gift of rest. Plan time away from the kids, away from work, away from the everyday. If my wife oversees getting away, it’s not very restful for her. She has so many details and schedules that she needs a vacation after the vacation. So, men, take charge. Arrange an escape and handle all the logistics to honor her with some much-needed rest on a single night out or a full-blown getaway.

Earn some points: Discuss this article with your wife. Ask her which parts would mean the most to her. Then share iMOM article Top 5 Things Your Husband Wants from You and discuss it, too.

Sound off: What are some ways you honor your wife?

Huddle up with your kids and ask, “Why do you think it is important to honor your parents?”