Seven Ways to Redeem Your iPhone in Your Marriage This Week

I’ve got to admit, I have a love–hate relationship with my iPhone. 

In a few moments I can track down directions to a new location, organize my grocery list, keep in contact with people all over the world and easily entertain little ones while walking down the aisles of my grocery store when they’re cranky. For the most part, having a smartphone is a blessing we often take for granted. 

However, in an ever-growing culture of instant technology and instant communication with people through electronic devices, it seems we’ve lost a lot of healthy ways to communicate. As these unhealthy obsessions and reliance on our phones trickled their way into my marriage, fear and agitation have crept into my life. 

My husband would pick up his phone to play a game or check an email from work and my thoughts would spin out of control. 

What’s so much more interesting on his phone than here with me? 

I must have become boring to him, if he would rather pick up his phone than talk to me. 

Who else needs access to my husband after dinner time?

As my husband would reach for his phone here and there, I found myself reaching for mine when I didn’t want to risk engaging in conversation or wanted to be passive aggressive at home. 

Satan has quick access into our mind when we create scenarios that are so far from the truth. 

In order to redeem this little plastic device, I began to pray about ways to use it to build communication with my husband instead of it building division. 

God reminded me I can use it as a tool for life or for death. So I began to seek ways to bring life into our marriage through the phone. 

For seven days I sent intentional text messages to my husband to build him up. What I found was these short little messages reminded me of the qualities I love and admire in my husband and they spoke life into his weary soul. And as wives, isn’t it our desire to build them up? 

So if you’re like I was and you’re frustrated with the role of the phone in your marriage, try texting these messages to your husband this next week and see if it sparks life in your marriage as well. 

Now, I know not every message may apply to you. Some marriages are in hard places. Some are healthy and in a strong season. Whatever your marriage season is in right now, take the principles of each day and craft a message to your husband. The point is that they are unexpected and are meant to build life and not have strings attached to them. 

Day 1: Hey there! I was praying for you this morning and told God I was so grateful He made you a man of (insert a quality here that you admire such as integrity, honesty, security, loyalty, etc.). Thank you for being ____. I really respect that. Look forward to seeing you later today.

Day 2: Good morning! I’m praying your workday is productive. Thank you for working hard for our family; I know it’s a large load to carry. You are appreciated. 

Day 3: Hi. I was thinking about that time we went/did (insert a memory of something fun you did together) together. I love making memories with you. Maybe we can begin planning another adventure for the two of us to take. 

Day 4: Hi, Handsome. I just wanted to tell you how glad I am to be your wife. 

Day 5: Good morning! Today I’m praying the Lord shows Himself to you in a way your heart needs. I know you have needs that I can’t always meet, but I’m trusting God to meet the things you need, because He is always enough. 

Day 6: Hey there. You’re my best friend, and I hope that you know I’m always here for you. 

Day 7: Hi. My plan for tonight is to order pizza, get the kiddos to bed early, jump in a hot shower to unwind and then crawl into bed with you… yep, let your imagination fill in the rest. 🙂 

Maybe you’ll find that after seven days you don’t want to stop sending these little messages to your spouse. 

We used to do such a great job communicating and going out of our way to say something special to our husband before we were married, let’s not stop this practice just because life is available to us at our fingertips. Let’s redeem our phones and use them to build stronger marriages.. 

Wife Step: Take a screenshot of these texts above and start sending your man some love!

Natalia Drumm is a writer, speaker and teacher with a passion for building community and engaging women in the Word of God. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and they are raising three little boys in their home town of North Port, FL. Natalia and her husband serve in their local church as marriage small group leaders and life group coaches. They have a passion for healthy marriages as they have seen the restorative power of God in their own marriage and family. 

Natalia is an assignment writer for Lifeway Women and serves as the Bible Study Content Editor at Living by Design Ministries. She also volunteers at Proverbs 31 Ministries on their proofreading team and leads a COMPEL Discovery Group. Natalia writes over at www.nataliadrumm.com where she creates devotional study books on issues relevant to womanhood and living in the fullness of God’s design for womanhood. 

When not writing, or serving at church, Natalia spends her time running, reading and enjoying a good Netflix binge. She’s also not be one to turn down a cold Coke and hot chocolate chip cookie.