#fiercehusbands

[fiercemarriage]

So much truth in this one and it can definitely apply both ways. However, men, this one is for you. Husbands, you have a very unique calling and ability to set the tone of your household. The culture of your family is a direct reflection of your leadership and love. Let that sink in... it’s a sobering thought! As a husband, you are responsible before God for how you love your wife—she is His daughter first, and your wife second. He loved her first. Care for her wisely... "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). How can you "give yourself" up for your wife? Let's explore. 1. Your faith. Find your worth, importance, and identity first in Christ. This is the foundation for any true, sacrificial love you can give to your wife and kids. 2. Your time. Time is your most precious and limited resource. Give your best time to your bride. Let everything else have the leftovers. 3. Your attention. Listen carefully, consider thoughtfully, and respond compassionately. Refuse to let your focus be divided when you're at home. Ditch distractions and engage. 4. Your provision. Providing for your family doesn't begin and end with your bank account. That's part of it, but you're also called to provide so much more... emotional energy and stability, spiritual leadership, prayer, and the list goes on. Give generously, but don't let your occupation be the only way you contribute to the health of your marriage and family. You have so much more to give! This is just a start, but I hope it gets you thinking. Men, love your brides well! Give yourself up for your wife as Christ did for his Church... doing so is wise, healthy, and obedient to your call as a husband. Stay fierce, Ryan P.S. If you're a husband and you want to grow tangibly in how you love your wife, check out 31DayPursuit.com (link in BIO). It just might revolutionize how you view the woman God gave you. #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriage #31daypursuit #fiercemarriagebook #40prayers https://www.instagram.com/fiercemarriage/p/Bw72-WAAnWC/?igshid=ka7l84967qan

[fiercemarriage]

So much truth in this one and it can definitely apply both ways. However, men, this one is for you. Husbands, you have a very unique calling and ability to set the tone of your household. Your family is a direct reflection of your leadership and love. Let that sink in... it’s a sobering thought! As a husband, you are responsible before God for how you love your wife—she is His daughter first, and your wife second. He loved her first. Care for her wisely... "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). How can you "give yourself" up for your wife? Let's explore. 1. Your faith. Find your worth, importance, and identity first in Christ. This is the foundation for any true, sacrificial love you can give to your wife and kids. 2. Your time. Time is your most precious and limited resource. Give your best time to your bride. Let everything else have the leftovers. 3. Your attention. Listen carefully, consider thoughtfully, and respond compassionately. Refuse to let your focus be divided when you're at home. Ditch distractions and engage. 4. Your provision. Providing for your family doesn't begin and end with your bank account. That's part of it, but you're also called to provide so much more... emotional energy and stability, spiritual leadership, prayer, and the list goes on. Give generously, but don't let your occupation be the only way you contribute to the health of your marriage and family. You have so much more to give! This is just a start, but I hope it gets you thinking. Men, love your brides well! Give yourself up for your wife as Christ did for his Church... doing so is wise, healthy, and obedient to your call as a husband. Stay fierce, Ryan P.S. If you're a husband and you want to grow in your faith alongside other men, search "Fierce Husbands" on Facebook. Hope to see you there! #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriage #31daypursuit #fiercemarriagebook https://www.instagram.com/fiercemarriage/p/BlWB4CggT2W/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y7j8mdol6trd

[fiercemarriage]

As men, it's so tempting to chase career goals at the expense of family health. Society applauds financial success and positional prominence, but the value of healthy family seems to be steadily eroding. If your career ambitions come at the cost of loving your wife and children well, something is terribly wrong. As a man, your first calling is to love Christ. Your next calling is to love your bride, then your children. Finally, you're called to love others in Christ's name by sharing the message of the gospel through discipleship. Somewhere below those callings, you're called to steward your resources (time, energy, talent, money) well, as if unto God. So many times, we men tend to flip those priorities around for all the wrong reasons. I'm urging you to not fall into that trap. Wisdom has told us time and time again not to chase vain pursuits. Seek to understand, chase the Gospel. Psalm 49:20 reads, "Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish." I believe this means that aside from an understanding of God, His goodness, His purposes, and the Gospel, we are men in form but we exist as animals. We live, we survive, and we die. Those are strong words, but I'm praying you'll listen! Life is short, don't waste it pursuing worthless things. I hope you're reminded of this just as I am, and you're urged to keep your priorities in line according to God's word. Stay fierce, men. Lead and love well. Ryan If you’re a man and you’ve read this far, tag a brother and leave an encouraging word for him. Like you, he needs loving brotherly reminders to keep the first things first. Note: this could definitely apply to ladies as well! However, as a guy, I wanted to take a moment and specifically encourage other men in this. #fiercemarriage #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriagebook

[fiercemarriage]

This may strike you as a radical statement—perhaps even as one that overreaches. Let me explain. Note: the below can definitely apply to women as well! As a man, a husband, and a father, I've experienced a consistent connection between how well I love my family and how submitted (consumed) I am to the love of God. The further I drift from an active, devoted relationship with my Creator, the further I drift from loving my wife with patience, understanding, compassion, and grace. The same is true for my relationship with our daughters. In other words, if I'm not consistently disciplined to get into God's word, talk to him, remind myself of the gospel, and center my day, thoughts, and desires on him, I'm more likely to rely on my own strength to love my family well. The problem with that is that I'm actually a pretty weak person... I grow impatient and selfish quicker than I think I will. I need God's help—I need his grace. Maybe you can relate: it's easy to have a great week with your relationship with God and then try to use that momentum to coast through the next week. But that's not how we're built to live. One reason for this drift (when it happens, which thankfully is becoming less and less frequent) may be because I take the work and presence of the Holy Spirit for granted. It's amazing—yes, amazing!—how the Holy Spirit supernaturally enables us to love like Christ. It's otherworldly. May God be our first and ultimate desire! May we constantly rely on his power to love our families with love and truth that are out of this world. May God fuel our marriages and make them beacons of Christ's hope, joy, peace, and love for our families, our communities, and the far reaches of the world. Stay fierce, Ryan #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriage #love #marriage

[fiercemarriage]

This idea may seem outlandish, but it becomes increasingly clear the closer we get to a true definition of (objective) love. A husband whose heart has been captured by Christ has a deeper, truer understanding of love and grace only comes from knowing and trusting Christ. He understands that he is saved and loved only by God's grace in Christ and he desires to love his wife similarly. He knows a different, heart-changing love and he extends the same to his wife. He is patient, kind, and gentle. He is faithful, just like Jesus. So, how can we say such an absolute statement as what's on the image? Yes, non-christian husbands can love and pursue their wives—just as they can breathe in fresh air, enjoy a beautiful landscape, and eat an incredible meal. Theologians call this "common grace". It means that all are free and able to enjoy the goodness God gives in various forms because He is ultimately good and His goodness spills over onto his creation (see James 1:17). But for those who put their trust in Jesus, there's so much more goodness to be had, particularly for marriage. A wife who is a believer will be profoundly impacted by a husband led by Christ. That's how marriage was designed to work. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." ~ Eph 5:25. There is nothing more relieving to a wife than a husband who loves her well and leads as he himself follows Christ. Husbands, let's be men who follow Christ relentlessly and win our wives' hearts consistently. As husbands, we can only lead as far as we are being led; and only Christ can show us how to love truly. Stay fierce, men. Ryan PS: If you’re a husband/guy looking to have periodic discussions with other likeminded men, find the FIERCE HUSBANDS group on Facebook. Request to join and well welcome you into the fold of the brotherhood. #fiercemarriage #31daypursuit #twoasonedevotional #40prayers #fiercehusbands https://www.instagram.com/p/B71N7AShghT/?igshid=xgdsnvqvtnsb

[fiercemarriage]

So much truth in this one and it can definitely apply both ways. However, men, this one is for you. Husbands, you have a very unique calling and ability to set the tone of your household. Your family is a direct reflection of your leadership and love. Let that sink in... it’s a sobering thought! As a husband, you are responsible before God for how you love your wife—she is His daughter first, and your wife second. He loved her first. Care for her wisely... "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). How can you "give yourself" up for your wife? Let's explore. 1. Your faith. Find your worth, importance, and identity first in Christ. This is the foundation for any true, sacrificial love you can give to your wife and kids. 2. Your time. Time is your most precious and limited resource. Give your best time to your bride. Let everything else have the leftovers. 3. Your attention. Listen carefully, consider thoughtfully, and respond compassionately. Refuse to let your focus be divided when you're at home. Ditch distractions and engage. 4. Your provision. Providing for your family doesn't begin and end with your bank account. That's part of it, but you're also called to provide so much more... emotional energy and stability, spiritual leadership, prayer, and the list goes on. Give generously, but don't let your occupation be the only way you contribute to the health of your marriage and family. You have so much more to give! This is just a start, but I hope it gets you thinking. Men, love your brides well! Give yourself up for your wife as Christ did for his Church... doing so is wise, healthy, and obedient to your call as a husband. Stay fierce, Ryan P.S. If you're a husband and you want to grow in your faith alongside other men, search "Fierce Husbands" on Facebook. Hope to see you there! #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriage #31daypursuit #fiercemarriagebook

[fiercemarriage]

So much truth in this one and it can definitely apply both ways. However, men, this one is for you. Husbands, you have a very unique calling and ability to set the tone of your household. Your family is a direct reflection of your leadership and love. Let that sink in... it’s a sobering thought! As a husband, you are responsible before God for how you love your wife—she is His daughter first, and your wife second. He loved her first. Care for her wisely... "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). How can you "give yourself" up for your wife? Let's explore. 1. Your faith. Find your worth, importance, and identity first in Christ. This is the foundation for any true, sacrificial love you can give to your wife and kids. 2. Your time. Time is your most precious and limited resource. Give your best time to your bride. Let everything else have the leftovers. 3. Your attention. Listen carefully, consider thoughtfully, and respond compassionately. Refuse to let your focus be divided when you're at home. Ditch distractions and engage. 4. Your provision. Providing for your family doesn't begin and end with your bank account. That's part of it, but you're also called to provide so much more... emotional energy and stability, spiritual leadership, prayer, and the list goes on. Give generously, but don't let your occupation be the only way you contribute to the health of your marriage and family. You have so much more to give! This is just a start, but I hope it gets you thinking. Men, love your brides well! Give yourself up for your wife as Christ did for his Church... doing so is wise, healthy, and obedient to your call as a husband. Stay fierce, Ryan P.S. If you're a husband and you want to grow in your faith alongside other men, search "Fierce Husbands" on Facebook. Hope to see you there! #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriage #31daypursuit #fiercemarriagebook

[fiercemarriage]

So much truth in this one and it can definitely apply both ways. However, men, this one is for you. Husbands, you have a very unique calling and ability to set the tone of your household. Your family is a direct reflection of your leadership and love. Let that sink in... it’s a sobering thought! As a husband, you are responsible before God for how you love your wife—she is His daughter first, and your wife second. He loved her first. Care for her wisely... "as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). How can you "give yourself" up for your wife? Let's explore. 1. Your faith. Find your worth, importance, and identity first in Christ. This is the foundation for any true, sacrificial love you can give to your wife and kids. 2. Your time. Time is your most precious and limited resource. Give your best time to your bride. Let everything else have the leftovers. 3. Your attention. Listen carefully, consider thoughtfully, and respond compassionately. Refuse to let your focus be divided when you're at home. Ditch distractions and engage. 4. Your provision. Providing for your family doesn't begin and end with your bank account. That's part of it, but you're also called to provide so much more... emotional energy and stability, spiritual leadership, prayer, and the list goes on. Give generously, but don't let your occupation be the only way you contribute to the health of your marriage and family. You have so much more to give! This is just a start, but I hope it gets you thinking. Men, love your brides well! Give yourself up for your wife as Christ did for his Church... doing so is wise, healthy, and obedient to your call as a husband. Stay fierce, Ryan P.S. If you're a husband and you want to grow in your faith alongside other men, search "Fierce Husbands" on Facebook. Hope to see you there! #fiercehusbands #fiercemarriage #31daypursuit #fiercemarriagebook