When it comes to protecting our daughters, God has given us many weapons. Godly men want to protect and provide for their daughters. They want them to marry men who will do the same – caring, loving, providing and meeting their needs.
One way is to take our girls on “daddy dates” which you can read about here: “Why I Date Three Women at Once.” Another way is to teach them what God says about who they date and marry, and what God intended for marriage.
A third way is to praise our wives. What does praising our wives have to do with protecting our daughters? While we need to tell our children what God says about marriage and the relationship between husbands and wives, they will learn a lot by what they observe from Dad and Mom.
In Proverbs 31:28 it says, “her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her.” How do we define praise? The Hebrew word here means “to cheer, shout in joy, or brag on.” Men, we can cheer our wives on in what they do. We can brag about them to our children, family, and friends. We can joyfully tell them how much they mean to us.
Here’s why this has to start with men: because we are the leaders of the home. Also, because we are setting the example of a healthy marriage. How we treat our wives, will be how our daughters will expect to be treated by men, whether it be potential dates, fiances, or husbands.
A girl who is trained to see a husband sacrificially love his wife and praise her often will know what she is supposed to be treated like. Or in another avenue, will be trained in what they should avoid being treated like. If a male tries to date them, and doesn’t give them respect or praise, but demeans them or constantly puts them down, they will say, “This isn’t how this relationship should be. We are done.”
If they see Dad constantly disrespecting Mom, and rarely show her appreciation, you better bet they are learning from that as well. They will think this is acceptable behavior out of potential mates, which of course it is not. Men, how we speak to and treat out wives is one of many weapons in protecting your daughter against being love-stricken by potentially abusive and neglectful men.
Men, how often do you praise your wife? Do you brag about her to your children? Do you cheer her on or encourage her in what she does? What impact are you having on how your daughter will believe she should or should not be treated down the road?
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.