The Practice of Praise in Your Marriage

I’m always telling people how my husband fits James 1:19 so well. If you aren’t familiar with it, it can be summed up by how my husband is slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. He’s an excellent demonstration of these admirable qualities, yet I don’t praise him or tell him often enough how much I appreciate this about him and what it brings to our marriage.

Why is it so easy for us as wives to forget to praise our husbands for the positive they bring to our relationship?  Why don’t we take more time to point out their praiseworthy qualities instead of focusing on the things that cause us aggravation or annoyance?

If you’re like many of us, sometimes it’s just flat our hard to see and/or say what you appreciate because let’s face it – we are annoyed! Disagreements easily add up and when division lives in a marriage, it’s hard to be the one to build the bridge back together. But it’s possible and essential to bring back the joy your marriage is capable of experiencing.

Men thrive on praise and affirmation (many women do, too). But in the busyness and mundane day-to-day tasks, it’s hard to remember the importance of calling out the great in our husbands.

Here are four ways to practice praise in your marriage:

1. Pray daily. I don’t know about you, but sometimes it feels hard or even impossible to find something good about your husband. Ask God to help you notice and appreciate your husband’s good qualities, even in the midst of negative situations.
2. Make a mental note of what God brings to your mind. Meaning, pause and process what these qualities are in your husband. Maybe take it a step further and write them down. 
3. Speak those things to your hubby, offering him your praise and appreciation for all he does for you and your family.
4. Speak in a praiseworthy manner of your husband to others.  Hold him in high regard for the things you appreciate about him. (Trust me ladies, your praise will get back to him.)

Every day is not a bed of roses, and your husband will never be perfect (thank goodness –perfection would be hard to live with!). But our Heavenly Father has surely given our husbands their own unique gifts, and each of those is worthy of our praise. 

Wife Step: Take the next two minutes to put into practice the steps above.

Betty Predmore is an author, speaker, blogger, and ministry leader. Betty has experienced broken homes, divorce, abuse, grief, being a single mother, blended families, and adoption.  Betty uses the broken places and movement of God in her own life to share God’s Word in an inspiring way, sprinkled with honesty, humor, and encouragement, and reflecting the love of Jesus to all she meets. 

Betty is the Founding Director of two community faith-based ministries.  Mom-Sense helps women overcome life struggles through small group classes with biblical curriculum, individual counseling, bibles studies, and other areas of support.  The Imperial Valley Coalition for Life is a pro-life organization that values the sanctity of life and encourages women to choose life by offering various means of support throughout pregnancy and infancy.

Betty has published two devotionals:  Pondering Virtue and Whispered Grace. Betty is honored to be a part of the A Wife Like Me contributor team.  She has also contributed to other publications such as Southern Faith Magazine, Purposeful Life, and Aspiring Woman Magazine.  She is also a contributor for several online Christian blogging sites.

Of all her roles in life, Betty is most honored to be wife to Jim and mama to a brood of 7, which includes biological and adopted children.