Proverbs 18:22 (NLT) says, The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.
Husbands, If you have a new Ford F-150 (or insert your favorite) sitting in your driveway, how do you protect it?
What if it’s a new Fierce Rogue hunting rifle? Or a St. Croix Triumph Travel fishing rod?
How will you protect that new house of your dreams?
Husbands, the real question is, do you protect your wife? If so, how do you protect her?
Proverbs 18:22 says she is a treasure. Ephesians 5:28 reminds us, Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies.
As I mentioned in the previous posts, The Treasure of Man and Husbands, Love Your Treasure, marriage is a grace-gift from God, and we have sufficient grace to grow in Christ through the gift of marriage and the privilege of responding to our treasure in many ways that honor God and live out the gospel.
So, how can you protect your treasure?
1. Pray with her and for her.
No one can do for your wife what God can do (Philippians 4:13)! No one can do through your wife what God can do (Philippians 2:13)!! The greatest way to protect your wife is to know the will of God through the Word of God for your spouse and then pray those passages for her and with her. Here are a few examples: Romans 6:1-13; Galatians 2:20; 5:22-26; Ephesians 5:15-21; Colossians 1:9-10; 1 Peter 5:6-7.
The strongest husbands on the planet are those who protect their wives on their knees!
2. Treat her like a lady.
- Always walk on the street side of the sidewalk.
- Open doors for her, including the car door (even with kids around).
- Seat her at the table.
- Know her whereabouts when she’s away from home. This is not to control but to protect, to provide security.
3. Keep her from adding unnecessary rocks in her wagon.
Our wives are often blue-ribbon servers! Sometimes they have a difficult time saying “no.” Protect them from over-obligating themselves; being involved in areas that take away from the best things. As a side note, some ladies find their security/significance in doing because they are not secure in their marriage.
4. Giving wisdom and helping her make decisions to protect her from being vulnerable.
There are times in life when conflict occurs in various venues of life. She needs you to say, “You don’t need to be involved in that.” Or, “No, that’s a trap.” Or, “Don’t grab that dog by the ears” (Proverbs 26:17-19). She needs your calming, insightful, logical wisdom to lovingly guide her and protect her.
5. Being the leader and making decisions.
This is aligned with #4, but in a practical way, just make decisions . . . where you will eat, go on vacation, the plan for your date, your opinion on her dress when she asks, etc. In other words, don’t respond with “I don’t know” or “It doesn’t matter to me!” Be the loving servant leader that considers your wife and makes decisions.
What a blessing, by the grace of God, to protect the treasure God has given us, this treasure created in the image of God. So, how are you protecting your wife? Better than your truck, gun, fishing rod and/or house? She is your treasure.
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