Welcome back to Week 3 of the Marriage Victory Challenge!! How are we feeling, ladies? Before diving in, I want to remind you that the goal is progression and not perfection. Maybe you didn’t greet your husband at the door one day last week, or perhaps you said something you wish you hadn’t. There is grace—it comes from Jesus, and Lord knows we need it every day!! Use those moments as opportunities to re-center, ask the Lord for help, and commit to showing up for your marriage every. single. day.

If you missed the first two weeks of The Marriage Victory Challenge, click here to go back!

The challenge has been the most exciting thing for me to experience alongside y’all, and before presenting the next challenge, I wanted to address this email that I received:

“Good morning! These challenges so far are really inspiring. The only thing holding me back from fully wanting to do them is the fact that I feel like my husband doesn’t give his all at home. It’s so hard, but I feel contempt or like he doesn’t deserve it. I’m discouraged. Do you have any suggestions?”

If you find yourself thinking similarly to this wife, can I pray with you?

Lord, I pray that you dismantle the bitterness and envy in the heart of these wives who find themselves discouraged. Lord, I pray you reveal to them the grace and mercy that you show them every day—may they have an overflow of grace onto their husbands. Help us remember…“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12-13. May we forgive each other just like you forgave us. Give us an eternal mindset and let us not gatekeep when our husbands get our unconditional love. Let us remember this is our husbands we’re talking about here, not Bob the neighbor—we’re serving & loving our husbands that we willingly made an intimate covenant with before the Lord. Let us remember the unity and sacredness that marriage holds. Help us hold this verse close to our hearts—“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:14-21. Your word says that if we lack wisdom, ask for it, and it will be given! So we ask for wisdom and guidance in overcoming our pride. Amen.

This week’s challenge is to be extremely kind & generous.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 reminds us that:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.”

Our husbands are deserving of the BEST parts of us, and with all the busyness of life, they often get the worst of us. After being married for some time and adding little ones to the mix, it can become easy to neglect the little things that we once used to do. Sometimes, we become too familiar with the things we once loved about them, and suddenly it becomes irritating. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been guilty of this. What largely inspired this challenge are changes I need to make in my own marriage, and after making them, I’ve begun to see fruit come out of my marriage that I didn’t know was possible. It’s like we’re in the “honeymoon phase” all over again, except this time it isn’t a phase 😍

This Week’s Marriage Victory Challenge

So the marriage victory challenge this week is:

Go out of your way to do something for your husband that you don’t normally do or haven’t done in a while. Make an intentional effort to serve your husband and show up for him this week. Do something you know will make his life easier!!

• Kiss him first thing in the morning
• Wake up with him when he goes to work and make him breakfast
• Complete a chore or task of his this week
• Shower him with compliments and words of encouragement
• Give him extra kisses and hugs
• Speak positively about him around the kids and others
• Tell him what you’re thankful for/what you love the most about him
• Love and serve him in HIS love language
• Pray instead of nag
• Meet him at the door

You know your husband best!! And if you feel like you don’t, let’s fix that! Ask him. You don’t need to guess, just simply ask.

“Honey, what makes you feel loved by me?”

“Babe, is there something that I do that makes you feel disrespected?”

“How can I honor you this week?”

“What makes you feel special?”

“What doesn’t make you feel special?”

“Do you feel like you have to compete for my attention?”

Do something to surprise him. As wives, we are to give our husbands honor and respect. A big way to demonstrate that is showing up for him in the little things or seemingly small ways. Ask yourself this question throughout the day, “How can I serve my husband right now?” It shows that you not only love him but also care enough to pay attention to the details. As I said earlier, your husband deserves the best of you. Second to Jesus, he is the most important person in your life. Make him a priority this week and never stop!!

Looking at Scripture

Continue to make an effort without expecting anything in return. Remember these verses:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
– Romans 12:21

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
– Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”
– Colossians 3:23-25

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
– Proverbs 31:26

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.”
– Proverbs 12:4

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,”
– 1 Peter 3:1

“But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”
– 1 Peter 3:4

I’ll catch ya next week! Be blessed 🤎