My One and Only

So, you’re a married man. Congratulations. Being married can be awesome and liberating. You get to spend the rest of your life with your best friend and someone who complements you completely – it’s tremendous. [i]

The thing about marriage is that it actually provides a framework for you to thrive and flourish, to become your true self rather than someone who is just angling for another score. But even though marriage is a time for you to feel free, there are a few things that married men should never do. Here are four of them.

1.  Get emotionally vulnerable with a member of the opposite sex. Whether you’re unburdening yourself or whether they’re pouring out their heart to you, this is just a bad idea. Look, we all want to be the person who is kind and loving and who is “there” for those in need. And that’s a great person to be.

Just don’t be that person for a member of the opposite sex especially if it’s just the two of you. Look, we’re not afraid of a man being friends or even being close with a woman that he’s not married to.

But we also understand the realities of the way the human heart works, and we know that emotional vulnerability can wind up leading either – or both – of you to places you shouldn’t be going. Someone else can be there for them, or there for you. It’s not worth it.

 

2.  Keep score. Hey, you want to know a great way to kill intimacy with your wife? Try keeping score. When you get into a heated conversation (i.e. argument), don’t try to find resolution – just try to win. When your wife asks you to do something for her, remember it so you can use it later to force her to do something for you.

Oh, and when it comes to sex, definitely keep track of who initiates and when and then take it personally. Of course we’re being sarcastic here. Keeping score is great when you’re playing actual games, but a terrible thing to do in marriage. You and your spouse are in this together, meaning you either both win or you both lose. Grow up.[ii]

3.  Try to fix your wife. The great thing about your wife is that she is a wonderful puzzle of occasional contradictions who sometimes just needs to think out loud. And at the risk of generalizing, we’re going to say that when she does think out loud, she’s not really looking for answers so much as a confidant and someone to back up the way she feels about something.

She probably doesn’t really want you to fix her situation, and she definitely doesn’t want you to fix her. She wants an advocate. You aren’t responsible for your wife’s emotions or actions. You know who is? She is. Let her be. Listen, be kind, back her up, and let her vent.

4.  Stop doing the little things. You know how when you were dating you did all kinds of cool, fun, romantic little things? And you know how that made her feel? Yeah, you should keep doing that stuff. You probably already know this, because it’s in, like, every marriage book, blog, video course, conference, and getaway weekend. But there’s a reason for that: because it’s true.

You have to keep doing that stuff to let your wife know you still cherish her and respect her and have a desperate desire to continue surprising her, even after all these years.

And now it’s your turn, married guys. We’ve given you some ideas – take them as a springboard and start thinking of what you shouldn’t do as a married man, as well as all the many, many things that you can do. Get started. Live free.[iii]

“Who can find a wife of noble character? For her value is far more than rubies.”[iv] My wife, Bobbi, has a giving personality, and definitely is what this verse is communicating. If you are a husband, is this scripture true of your wife?



A young Frank Sinatra

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[i] “My one and only” refers to incomparable, unique, and the object of all one's love (www.collinsdictionary.com).

 

[ii]  “My One and Only Love” Performed by Frank Sinatra, 1963

 

The very thought of you makes my heart sing
Like an April breeze on the wings of spring,
And you appear in all your splendor,
My one and only love.
 
The shadows fall and spread their mystic charms
In the hush of night while you're in my arms.
I feel your lips, so warm and tender,
My one and only love.
 
The touch of your hand is like heaven,
A heaven that I've never known.
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own.
 
You fill my eager heart with such desire.
Ev'ry kiss you give sets my soul on fire.
I give myself in sweet surrender,
My one and only love.

 

 

 

[iii] Adapted from the article, “4 Things Married Men Should Never Do” by Craig Gross on December 5th, 2016 (www.xxxchurch.com)

 

 

[iv] Proverbs 31:10 (NET)