UNCOMMEN HusbandsSample

“UNCOMMEN Husbands Nourish”

I’m not sure Paul was the most popular men’s retreat speaker.

When he spoke, some fell asleep...and then fell out a window (Acts 20:9). He admitted to the church at Corinth his messages were a bit convoluted (1 Cor. 2:3-5). Even his buddy Peter threw him under the bus for his ivory tower verbiage (2 Peter 3:15-16).

Then there was his unfortunate use of the word nourish in Ephesians 5:28. I’m pretty sure every guy in the audience cringed a bit when Paul said to husbands, “nourish” your wife. We may think of nutritious foods, but in Paul’s day, the word often referred to nursing moms. Try and get that picture out of your head.

When my wife used her God-given equipment to nourish our children I don’t ever remember a time when I asked her, “Honey, when was the last time you fed the baby?” and she responded, “Oh, I don’t know, it’s been a few days.”

Because instinctively a mom knows her baby’s nourishment has to be consistent, catered to their tastes, and is crucial for their survival. In the same way, Paul calls husbands to nourish their brides.

Is your love consistent? I don’t know about you, but I rarely miss a meal. Unless I’m fasting (for a very short time!), about every 4-5 hours I feed the beast. It’s all too common for our wives to go months between meals: a date night, taking a walk, go on an adventure, a simple text saying, “are you tired? You should be because you’ve been running through my mind all day long,” or a well thought out letter. Nourishment must be ongoing.

Is your love catered to her tastes? You’re not going to catch me at the all you can eat tofu bar. Unless I’m on the mission field, I generally nourish my body with stuff I like. It’s common to give love the way we want to receive love. But your love language probably doesn’t match hers. Want to know if you are catering to her “love” taste buds, ask this UNCOMMEN question: “Honey, do you feel the depth of my love? Not do you know it, but do you feel it? If not, how can I nourish your soul?”

Do you realize your love is crucial to her survival? It’s no secret many women feel malnourished by their husbands. Their closets may be stuffed with clothes and pantry stocked with food, but their souls are famished for attention and craving emotional sustenance from the one who promised to love them until “death do us part.”

The Shulamite woman said in Song of Solomon, “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me” (7:10). Every woman wants to be wanted, pursued, and longed for.

You can find manly ways to love your wife at www.uncommen.org

Submitted by UNCOMMEN Coach: Brian Goins.