Day 20: What? Me Worry? Husbands Edition - 31 Days: Marriage Devotionals

Scripture Focus: Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. Tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. Philippians 4:6

Real men don’t worry.

Men grow up believing that falsehood, so when they do worry --- they hide it fairly well. Men learn to act strong and appear brave, even when they’re afraid.

Here’s something you may not realize: Husbands spend a lot of time worrying.

A husband may worry that his job isn’t safe. He may worry that the company is about to replace him, or is about to downsize and eliminate his job. He may worry that his union is just about to call a strike --- which is the last thing he wants! He can’t afford the lost wages, even with the slight help the union provides.

A husband may worry that his kids are growing up too fast, and that he’s not really getting to know them. A husband may worry that his wife is cheating on him, especially if he’s in a remarriage and his previous wife was unfaithful. He may worry that his wife loves the children more than she loves him. He may worry that she talks too freely with her friends and her family.

Husbands are allowed to worry; they’re just not allowed to admit it.

“Don’t worry about anything,” Paul tells the church at Philippi. Knowing how difficult this assignment may be, he immediately suggests an alternative: “Pray about everything.”

This sage advice needs to be written into an updated man code. Calling all real men: Pray about everything! Pray for your wives and your children. Pray for your employers and those in authority over you. Pray for the government that is in power, whether you agree with its values or not. Instead of worrying, Paul tells us, “Pray about everything.”

The power of a praying husband is beyond amazing!

For your personal reflection: Real Man Check

·         Are you a pray-er or are you a worrier?

·         Which one are you?

Prayer: Lord, instead of complaining, whining, or worrying --- teach me to pray! May my wife and my children come to know me as a man of prayer --- for real. Help me make my legacy as a husband and a father come down to this: “He prayed.”