THE HUSBAND THAT WILL BE RESPECTED 2
Marrying Irewamiri came with its own hurdles – loving family members who were concerned about her decision to settle and marry a pastor in the same place where she had initially disliked. It felt like she was brainwashed. It was a journey of prayers and wise preparations.
We had one of those nights at a restaurant on Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a night of interactions, but there was a powerful question that night- “Pastor Temi, can you describe your typical day?”
A husband who will be respected must be able to answer that question with precision, showing pointers to productive daily engagements.
A lazy man can never be respected. A man who lacks the wisdom on how to engage time productively will not be respected. You must be able to mine time and convert it to visible gems- skill, strength, and success!
A man who lacks awareness of how to maximise times and seasons (starting with a day) would be an issue in his marriage. Hear what the preacher said:
Ecclesiastes 10:16-18 NLT
[16] What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. [17] Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. [18] Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
Morning is the time for pursuit and not pleasure. If the image your wife has of you is that of a lounging pleasure lover, you will lose respect. If you are always folding your hands in unproductive postures and then you are the first to ask, “What are we eating?”, you will not be respected. Your wife will likely think in her mind that “He who does not work must not eat”. Some may say it to your face.
Tough times truly come. However, do not allow what is meant to be for a season to become a pattern of irresponsibility. “I am looking for a job” may sound good for a while, but it becomes irritating after a while. You may need to leverage the skills you have in such seasons. At times, you may have to pick up new ones.
Do not let pride make you turn down every opportunity. While a cocoa farmer waits for his bountiful harvest, he nurtures other sustenance crops like maize or even vegetables. Why? We must stay alive to enjoy the bountiful harvest.
Dear husband, I pray for you: The Lord bless you with fresh opportunities and the wisdom to see and utilize them. May showers of blessing fall upon your efforts.