Welcome to Marriage in God's Hands. 00:00:29.75\00:00:33.00 I am Alanzo Smith, and this is my wife June Smith. 00:00:33.03\00:00:37.47 We have been married for 31 years. 00:00:37.50\00:00:41.07 And we have been doing a lot of marriage counseling, 00:00:41.10\00:00:44.79 retreats and seminars all over the world. 00:00:44.82\00:00:48.83 And what we're going to do for you today, 00:00:48.86\00:00:51.66 we're going to bring some of those things that we have 00:00:51.69\00:00:58.19 gleaned from these seminars and let you know. 00:00:58.22\00:01:01.08 What's the interesting topic that we have for today? 00:01:01.11\00:01:04.95 What husbands want wives to know. 00:01:04.98\00:01:09.33 Wow! Before we go into that, we're going to have prayer. 00:01:09.36\00:01:14.00 June, would you pray? 00:01:14.03\00:01:16.59 Father, we thank You so much for love. 00:01:17.75\00:01:20.52 We thank You for the sacrifices You've made 00:01:20.55\00:01:24.09 to redeem our families. 00:01:24.12\00:01:25.82 We pray for our husbands. We pray for our wives. 00:01:25.85\00:01:29.69 We pray that Your Holy Spirit will fill them with Your grace. 00:01:29.72\00:01:33.31 And Lord we ask that when You come, 00:01:33.34\00:01:36.23 all our families will be saved. 00:01:36.26\00:01:38.42 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. 00:01:38.45\00:01:41.72 What husbands want wives to know. 00:01:42.89\00:01:48.17 Well, well, well, as a husband, I want to hear. 00:01:48.20\00:01:52.35 Well, what would be the first thing you would say that 00:01:52.88\00:01:57.07 we husbands want our wives to know? 00:01:57.10\00:02:01.69 I think before we say that, we might say that there, 00:02:02.34\00:02:06.03 in the recent times, there is some research that suggests that 00:02:06.06\00:02:11.59 there are differences between men and women. 00:02:11.62\00:02:15.55 And as a result, sometimes the outcomes influence 00:02:15.58\00:02:21.25 our understanding of our relationships or how 00:02:21.28\00:02:26.05 men and women differ and how and where they're similar. 00:02:26.08\00:02:29.69 And what I have noticed also, as we have done our seminars 00:02:31.06\00:02:36.06 and working with couples in therapy sessions that sometimes 00:02:37.00\00:02:43.47 it's not major things that cause problems in marriages. 00:02:43.50\00:02:49.79 But sometimes it's simple things, little things. 00:02:49.82\00:02:53.93 Songs of Solomon describes it as 00:02:53.96\00:02:57.19 the little fox that spoils the vine. 00:02:57.22\00:03:01.69 And so we're saying that sometimes it's just some 00:03:01.72\00:03:05.28 little things that cause marriages to fall apart. 00:03:05.31\00:03:08.67 One of the things that I hear men talk about frequently 00:03:10.15\00:03:13.23 is the issue of money. 00:03:13.26\00:03:15.87 They have problems with, or most of the men that we surveyed, 00:03:16.57\00:03:21.56 had problems with the way their wives spend. 00:03:21.59\00:03:25.24 The way their wives usually spend outside of the budget. 00:03:25.27\00:03:29.37 So they want them to live within their budget. 00:03:30.46\00:03:32.32 That's one of their concerns. That women, for most of the men 00:03:32.86\00:03:35.89 we spoke to, at least, think that women just like to spend. 00:03:35.92\00:03:38.85 They don't want to be constrained. 00:03:38.88\00:03:40.32 They don't want to be told, "this is all I have". 00:03:40.35\00:03:43.40 It almost like they expect their husbands to have 00:03:43.43\00:03:45.60 an unending resource financially. 00:03:45.63\00:03:48.50 And so they want us to encourage women to understand that 00:03:48.53\00:03:53.38 there is always just a limited amount of money. 00:03:53.41\00:03:58.73 And so you can't just go shop until you drop. 00:03:58.76\00:04:01.41 Well, why don't we encourage you ladies, 00:04:01.74\00:04:04.49 you wives that are listening to us. 00:04:04.52\00:04:06.53 In reality, there are some things you can do without. 00:04:07.24\00:04:11.67 There are some things you need. There is necessity, and there's 00:04:11.70\00:04:15.42 some things that you can do without. 00:04:15.45\00:04:17.38 Some dangers that we need to look at. 00:04:18.38\00:04:21.25 Mail order catalogs, the use of credit cards, borrowing money. 00:04:21.28\00:04:26.68 Those are areas that we need to look at. 00:04:26.71\00:04:29.67 Talking about the credit card, I have to share this with you. 00:04:29.70\00:04:34.92 I was in line at a store some time ago, 00:04:36.30\00:04:39.72 and there was this lady right in front of me. 00:04:39.75\00:04:42.73 And she had a whole cart of stuff that she had taken up, 00:04:42.76\00:04:48.27 things that she was buying. When she got to the cash 00:04:48.30\00:04:51.06 register, she pulled out about 7 or 8 different credit cards. 00:04:51.09\00:04:57.04 And each one that she gave to the lady 00:04:57.07\00:05:03.10 had just a few dollars on it. And so what she had to do was 00:05:03.13\00:05:07.33 card, after card, after card, to pay for the goods 00:05:07.36\00:05:10.99 she had in front of her. She was maxing out each card 00:05:11.02\00:05:13.93 to get to the total amount. And the funny thing about it, 00:05:13.96\00:05:18.01 after using about 8 or 9 cards, she still couldn't pay for the 00:05:18.04\00:05:21.70 things she had. She had to put back some. 00:05:21.73\00:05:23.62 And her response or her remark was, "Well, it means I just 00:05:23.65\00:05:27.45 need to get another card. 00:05:27.48\00:05:28.84 That is certainly not healthy. And God has made us stewards 00:05:29.83\00:05:34.95 of the resources He has blessed us with. 00:05:34.98\00:05:38.28 And He wants us to be able to live within our means. 00:05:38.31\00:05:42.10 To buy the things that we need, not always the things we want. 00:05:42.13\00:05:46.32 I like what Timothy says in Timothy 6:6-8, 00:05:46.82\00:05:52.47 That's a good encouragement. In a materialistic society, 00:06:11.89\00:06:16.23 it is a challenge for some families. 00:06:16.26\00:06:18.54 So we're encouraging our friends to adhere to their 00:06:18.81\00:06:23.16 husbands requests to live within our means. 00:06:23.19\00:06:26.06 Don't nag. 00:06:27.25\00:06:28.94 We're talking about what husbands want wives to know. 00:06:28.97\00:06:31.80 Don't nag. 00:06:31.83\00:06:34.17 I think before we say anything about this topic, we should 00:06:34.20\00:06:37.15 go to the word of God and hear what the Bible has to say. 00:06:37.18\00:06:40.28 Here's the first text we're going to put up for you. 00:06:40.31\00:06:42.39 And Proverbs 21:19 says, 00:06:56.08\00:06:59.87 That speaks volumes. 00:07:10.98\00:07:13.61 You know, there are some women who 00:07:14.21\00:07:16.75 wake up in the morning and they are nagging. 00:07:16.78\00:07:20.07 They go through the day and they're nagging. 00:07:20.54\00:07:23.31 And it's time to go to bed and they're nagging. 00:07:23.34\00:07:25.61 And some will go through the night nagging. 00:07:25.64\00:07:27.51 And I think that's what the Bible is talking about 00:07:28.29\00:07:30.35 when it says "a continual dropping on a very rainy day 00:07:30.38\00:07:34.64 and a contentious woman are alike. " 00:07:34.67\00:07:37.10 This constant nagging, nagging. 00:07:37.13\00:07:39.89 So what you are saying is that men, husbands, 00:07:40.51\00:07:44.79 are asking their wives not to nag. 00:07:44.82\00:07:48.97 They think that it is annoying. 00:07:49.27\00:07:51.96 Yes. 00:07:51.99\00:07:52.96 The Bible talks about Abraham and an encounter with the Angel. 00:07:54.48\00:08:03.43 And Abraham asks the Angel if there were 50 righteous 00:08:03.46\00:08:07.70 would he destroy the city? And then he went to 45. 00:08:07.73\00:08:11.10 Then 40, 35. All the way down to 10. 00:08:11.13\00:08:16.11 The question that I'm asking, is this nagging or is it appealing? 00:08:16.14\00:08:21.49 Is there a difference between appealing and nagging? 00:08:21.52\00:08:25.35 There seems to be a need to appeal for what you're asking. 00:08:25.56\00:08:33.51 It might be perceived as nagging. 00:08:34.79\00:08:37.81 Now, I think men might think the woman is nagging 00:08:37.84\00:08:42.40 but the woman might think she's merely 00:08:42.43\00:08:44.99 trying to justify her request. 00:08:45.02\00:08:47.79 Ok, but a request is different from a constant barrage of... 00:08:48.61\00:08:56.12 I guess the bottom line of what we're saying is, 00:08:56.85\00:08:58.93 know when to quit. 00:08:58.96\00:09:00.82 You can't just make your point 00:09:00.85\00:09:03.58 over and over and over endlessly. 00:09:03.61\00:09:06.31 You have to get to the point where you stop. 00:09:06.50\00:09:09.41 That's what men are asking women to do. 00:09:09.44\00:09:13.16 The next thing that men are asking of women 00:09:13.99\00:09:18.18 or of their wives is avoid gossiping. 00:09:18.21\00:09:21.94 Somehow, men don't like when their wives get involved in 00:09:23.01\00:09:28.78 transmitting information too much. 00:09:28.81\00:09:32.08 Especially if it relates to things in the family. 00:09:32.99\00:09:35.96 They don't like that women take information and tell their 00:09:36.84\00:09:41.49 best friends or tell their family members 00:09:41.52\00:09:44.45 what's going on in the home. Men would rather you keep 00:09:44.48\00:09:48.45 what happens in the family within the confines of the home. 00:09:48.48\00:09:53.29 Gossiping, there's a funny thing about gossiping, 00:09:53.80\00:09:56.70 is that you never repeat the story the way it is. 00:09:56.73\00:10:01.34 I remember when I was a kid, we use to play a game, 00:10:01.37\00:10:04.67 maybe 8, 9, 10 of us would line up in a straight line. 00:10:04.70\00:10:09.60 And the first child would say something and whisper something 00:10:09.63\00:10:16.32 in the ear of that child. And they were to whisper 00:10:16.35\00:10:18.26 to the next child, all the way up to the tenth child. 00:10:18.29\00:10:21.44 And when it got to the tenth child they would ask, 00:10:21.47\00:10:23.88 "What did you hear?" And it's amazing, every time 00:10:23.91\00:10:26.59 what the tenth child said and what was said to the first child 00:10:26.62\00:10:30.03 is completely different. 00:10:30.06\00:10:32.47 And that's a classic example of gossiping. 00:10:32.50\00:10:34.88 I think we have all played that game and you're right. 00:10:35.48\00:10:37.90 It never comes out the way the message was sent. 00:10:37.93\00:10:41.38 So men really don't want their wives to be involved in gossip. 00:10:41.41\00:10:46.41 Matthew 12:34 says, 00:10:48.00\00:10:51.73 And Proverbs 18:21 says, 00:11:01.69\00:11:06.04 There's a Chinese proverb that I think is interesting. 00:11:16.68\00:11:19.38 And we're not advocating, by any means, 00:11:19.41\00:11:22.17 violence or anything, but to make a point... 00:11:23.37\00:11:25.67 The proverb says, 00:11:25.87\00:11:26.95 "He who listens to gossip is just as guilty 00:11:28.53\00:11:32.69 as the one who tells it. Both should be hanged. 00:11:32.72\00:11:37.27 One by the tongue and the other by the ear. " 00:11:37.30\00:11:40.88 Again, we are not advocating physical violence. 00:11:41.57\00:11:44.74 Please, we are not. 00:11:44.77\00:11:45.99 But there's a point to that Chinese proverb. 00:11:46.02\00:11:48.57 And the point is, the person who tells the gossip 00:11:48.60\00:11:51.78 and the one who listens to the gossip, 00:11:51.81\00:11:53.99 are just as guilty in the eyes of God. 00:11:54.02\00:11:56.68 We're talking about marriage in God's hands. 00:11:56.71\00:11:59.25 And husbands are saying, "In order for us to have 00:11:59.28\00:12:03.29 happy, healthy marriages, there are some things they would want 00:12:03.32\00:12:05.54 their wives to know and not to do. 00:12:05.57\00:12:07.48 And one of them is not to gossip. 00:12:07.51\00:12:09.27 Another is they want their wives to be Godly. 00:12:10.34\00:12:11.82 To be Christ centered. 00:12:11.85\00:12:13.86 To help them establish and maintain a Christian home 00:12:13.89\00:12:19.21 where they model the attitude and character of Christ. 00:12:19.24\00:12:22.90 And where they try to implant the image of Christ 00:12:22.93\00:12:27.30 in the hearts of their children. 00:12:27.33\00:12:29.30 That's important because the Bible says children 00:12:31.33\00:12:34.95 are a heritage of the Lord. 00:12:34.98\00:12:37.80 And it is the kind of care that we give to our children, 00:12:37.83\00:12:42.29 and in this case I'm talking about spiritual care, 00:12:42.32\00:12:45.13 that will reap dividends in years to come. 00:12:45.16\00:12:49.64 And most of all life everlasting. 00:12:49.67\00:12:52.11 So, although the husband is the high priest in the home, 00:12:52.94\00:12:54.99 and it is his responsibility to command his household 00:12:55.02\00:12:59.58 after righteousness, he's asking that his wife joins him and 00:12:59.61\00:13:05.39 be his partner, ensuring that the family alter is maintained 00:13:05.42\00:13:10.27 and that the home maintains a spiritual atmosphere. 00:13:10.30\00:13:14.00 Well, the next one we're going to talk about is 00:13:14.51\00:13:16.04 don't be flirtatious. And we have a lot more 00:13:16.07\00:13:18.34 that we want to share with you. 00:13:18.37\00:13:21.05 What husbands want wives to know. 00:13:21.08\00:13:23.75 You husbands, don't go away. You wives, you need to listen. 00:13:23.78\00:13:26.83 Stay right there, because we're going to be right back 00:13:26.86\00:13:29.65 to talk with you. 00:13:29.68\00:13:31.36 There are many "How To" books available. 00:13:41.27\00:13:43.17 But there's one that's free and perfect for every couple. 00:13:43.20\00:13:46.37 "How You Can Build A Better Marriage" 00:13:46.40\00:13:48.94 Bible-based, matrimonial advice is given in a light-hearted, 00:13:48.97\00:13:52.96 easy to ready manner, for those contemplating marriage, 00:13:52.99\00:13:55.72 newlyweds, couples in their golden years, 00:13:55.75\00:13:58.62 and everyone in between. Call or write for your copy: 00:13:58.65\00:14:01.19 Welcome back to Marriage in God's Hands. 00:14:15.97\00:14:19.53 We have been talking about what husbands want wives to know. 00:14:19.56\00:14:24.58 And so far, we have been bringing up a number of 00:14:24.61\00:14:28.23 things that husbands what their wives to know. 00:14:28.26\00:14:31.18 We said at the break we're going to talk about the next one. 00:14:31.32\00:14:34.46 Don't be flirtatious. 00:14:34.49\00:14:37.01 Why is it husbands want their wives to know that one? 00:14:37.04\00:14:42.08 It appears that husbands would like their wives to be loyal. 00:14:42.82\00:14:48.34 They don't like their wives to play around with other men. 00:14:48.37\00:14:54.10 They want them to act decently, to ensure that other men 00:14:54.13\00:15:01.72 are aware that they are married and not to send double messages. 00:15:01.75\00:15:06.62 Some women like the attention, and they sometimes go too far. 00:15:06.65\00:15:11.70 And when a woman flirts, she cheapens her husband. 00:15:12.46\00:15:18.20 When you flirt, you cheapen your husband. 00:15:18.23\00:15:21.08 When the Bible says you leave mother and father, 00:15:22.31\00:15:25.93 and you cleave, the notion of cleaving 00:15:25.96\00:15:29.28 can have no flirtatious living. So husbands are saying, 00:15:29.31\00:15:33.58 "Wives, please, don't flirt. We don't want you to flirt. " 00:15:33.61\00:15:38.06 Another concern that men seem to have, is they would like 00:15:38.91\00:15:42.85 their wives to declutter. 00:15:42.88\00:15:45.16 Now, it appears that this is an issue for some women. 00:15:46.36\00:15:50.05 I would say a lot of women. 00:15:50.86\00:15:53.01 But men seem to have a concern. And so, the men that we spoke to 00:15:53.31\00:15:57.69 in many of the seminars that we have done said, "Would you ask 00:15:57.72\00:16:00.96 most of the women to throw out things that they're not using?" 00:16:00.99\00:16:05.99 You know, one man said his wife had dresses from college days. 00:16:06.02\00:16:11.97 And her goal is that one day, she intends to 00:16:12.00\00:16:15.09 fit in those dresses. 00:16:15.12\00:16:16.71 It's a good goal, but there may not be space 00:16:17.61\00:16:19.60 to contain those clothes. 00:16:19.63\00:16:21.00 And that seems to be the problem. 00:16:21.03\00:16:22.72 So the husbands would like wives to not just throw out 00:16:22.75\00:16:27.37 things that they're not using, but try not to have 00:16:27.40\00:16:30.72 excessive things so the space is overcrowded. 00:16:30.75\00:16:34.43 And tied to decluttering, wives also, it's your responsibility 00:16:35.06\00:16:40.38 to make your bedroom an inviting place. 00:16:40.41\00:16:43.31 Sometimes the bedroom is not the best of places. 00:16:43.34\00:16:47.39 And you can really put it together. 00:16:47.42\00:16:49.48 Your home on a whole should be an inviting place. 00:16:49.51\00:16:53.18 It should be a place when you're heading home, you feel good. 00:16:53.21\00:16:56.43 You want to get home, you want to stay home. 00:16:56.46\00:16:58.88 Because it breaths an atmosphere of cleanliness. 00:16:58.91\00:17:02.45 And remember, cleanliness is Godliness. 00:17:02.48\00:17:05.90 Husbands also want their wives to care for them. 00:17:07.33\00:17:11.79 Not just to love them and to say, "I love you. " 00:17:11.82\00:17:14.96 But to demonstrate that in the way you care for them. 00:17:14.99\00:17:18.39 So husbands are asking wives to show interest in their husbands. 00:17:18.42\00:17:23.88 In things that their husbands are interested in. 00:17:23.91\00:17:25.99 And to show interest in their husbands self care. 00:17:26.02\00:17:30.35 You know, some husbands try and really do a good job 00:17:30.38\00:17:34.11 of coordinating their colors and taking care of themselves. 00:17:34.14\00:17:38.23 But sometimes they need the attention of their wives. 00:17:38.26\00:17:42.39 And they're asking for it even though sometimes 00:17:42.42\00:17:44.83 some of them reject it. 00:17:44.86\00:17:47.10 That's true, you know it is a fact that sometimes 00:17:47.34\00:17:52.07 we men, our color coordination is a bit off. 00:17:52.10\00:17:57.05 That tie that we put on with that shirt is kind of off. 00:17:57.42\00:18:01.69 Or that shirt we choose to wear with that jacket is kind of off. 00:18:01.72\00:18:06.41 And sometimes we kind of need that feminine touch. 00:18:06.44\00:18:09.88 So yes, we are asking for the help but when we get it, 00:18:09.91\00:18:14.75 we should not resist it. We should accept it graciously. 00:18:14.78\00:18:18.06 Because the ladies can really help to put ourselves together. 00:18:18.09\00:18:21.80 As you're saying that, I think of a gentleman I had a 00:18:22.65\00:18:24.24 conversation with at church. And he was telling me that 00:18:24.27\00:18:27.71 his wife tries, his wife usually on a Sabbath morning when he 00:18:27.74\00:18:31.82 gets dressed, his wife would say, "Honey, that doesn't go 00:18:31.85\00:18:34.06 well together. " 00:18:34.09\00:18:35.06 But he says, "I just still wear it. " 00:18:35.07\00:18:37.59 He doesn't see what's wrong with it. 00:18:39.89\00:18:41.40 And I had to smile, because at least he was admitting that 00:18:41.43\00:18:44.03 she attempted to help him. 00:18:44.33\00:18:48.26 Let me make it abundantly clear. 00:18:48.57\00:18:50.78 We're not asking you couples to be materialistic. 00:18:50.81\00:18:54.75 We're not asking you to be gaudy and what have you, no. 00:18:54.78\00:18:57.89 Not at all. We're saying, 00:18:57.92\00:18:59.39 whatever it is, as humble as you choose to dress, 00:18:59.42\00:19:03.11 that's your choice. But whatever it is, 00:19:03.14\00:19:04.94 we can put it together. If we're going to church, 00:19:04.97\00:19:07.11 we don't just want to go any way. 00:19:07.14\00:19:09.25 We're going to worship the Great Almighty God. 00:19:09.28\00:19:12.31 And we should bring our best self. 00:19:12.34\00:19:15.01 And the best way we can put our self together, 00:19:15.04\00:19:17.17 no matter what it is, we can put it together, and we can 00:19:17.20\00:19:20.10 coordinate, and we can look good. 00:19:20.13\00:19:21.92 We represent a great God. 00:19:21.95\00:19:23.95 And it's not just at church, the way we present ourselves. 00:19:24.62\00:19:26.91 So, a husband when he sees his wife in public, for example, 00:19:26.94\00:19:30.41 she should be nicely dressed. 00:19:30.44\00:19:31.91 She should be coordinated herself. 00:19:31.94\00:19:33.74 And so should he. 00:19:33.77\00:19:35.51 So women are saying they'd like their husband, not just to 00:19:35.54\00:19:39.15 pull on a t-shirt or a sweater and go, but make sure it's 00:19:39.18\00:19:44.49 nicely put together and coordinated. 00:19:44.52\00:19:46.58 Different occasions call for different dressing. 00:19:46.98\00:19:52.78 Well, here's another one that men want women to know. 00:19:53.32\00:19:56.24 Be specific when giving praise. 00:19:56.27\00:20:00.69 In other words, don't be generalized and say, 00:20:00.72\00:20:03.66 "Well, you know, thanks everything. " 00:20:03.69\00:20:07.70 Yes you're saying thanks, but you could be 00:20:07.73\00:20:10.75 a little more specific. 00:20:10.78\00:20:12.67 For example, how can we be more specific? 00:20:12.70\00:20:16.53 Men tend to be pretty concrete. Not all men, but some men. 00:20:16.73\00:20:19.70 And they want to hear what you are praising them for. 00:20:20.11\00:20:23.44 You know, it's so funny because I spoke to a man who said 00:20:23.47\00:20:28.23 whenever his wife praised him, he would say, "How much?" 00:20:28.26\00:20:32.12 He always thought there was some request 00:20:32.15\00:20:35.22 that was following the praise. 00:20:35.25\00:20:36.54 So you don't want to be so predictable. 00:20:36.83\00:20:38.45 But what men are saying is tell us what you are praising us for. 00:20:38.48\00:20:41.41 So if you're saying... 00:20:41.44\00:20:43.11 "Thank you for washing the car. " 00:20:43.41\00:20:46.86 Or putting petrol in the car or whatever 00:20:46.96\00:20:48.84 you're saying thanks for. 00:20:48.87\00:20:50.25 "I appreciate you going to the bank for me. " 00:20:50.28\00:20:51.94 Be very specific, call out. Identify what the issue is 00:20:52.15\00:20:56.72 rather just saying. Well, you're listening to us. 00:20:56.75\00:20:59.98 Maybe your spouse is sitting beside you. 00:21:00.01\00:21:02.97 Turn to your spouse and try that now. 00:21:03.75\00:21:05.85 Something that your spouse did for you today, yesterday, 00:21:05.88\00:21:08.79 or some other time. Just say, be very specific, 00:21:08.82\00:21:11.61 "I thank you for... " And name that thing. 00:21:11.64\00:21:14.36 Go right ahead. Don't be blushed. 00:21:14.39\00:21:16.11 Come on, try it. See, it sounds good. 00:21:16.14\00:21:18.69 Alright, let's move on. 00:21:18.72\00:21:20.06 Accept yourself for who you are. 00:21:21.74\00:21:25.80 That's important. Ladies, it's important 00:21:25.83\00:21:29.37 for you to accept yourself. 00:21:29.40\00:21:31.17 Sometimes you get too carried away. 00:21:31.20\00:21:33.28 You want to be this person, you want to be that person. 00:21:33.31\00:21:36.69 You have to learn to accept yourself for who you are. 00:21:36.72\00:21:41.50 So what a husband is saying is don't compare yourself with 00:21:42.27\00:21:44.09 other women. 00:21:44.12\00:21:45.48 Whoever you are, if you have concerns about 00:21:45.51\00:21:48.42 your own personal hood, then do something about it. 00:21:48.45\00:21:50.74 But be comfortable in your own skin. 00:21:50.77\00:21:52.69 And feel good about yourself. He loves you for who you are. 00:21:52.72\00:21:58.38 And you need to love yourself as well. 00:21:58.42\00:22:00.73 I like what the poet Matthew Arnold says. 00:22:01.03\00:22:04.66 He says, "Resolve to be thyself. And know that he who finds 00:22:04.96\00:22:09.76 himself, loses his misery. " 00:22:09.79\00:22:12.29 And that is so true. Just be yourself. 00:22:12.32\00:22:15.99 That's what God wants. 00:22:16.02\00:22:17.33 I like the quote from St. Francis of Assisi 00:22:18.06\00:22:21.69 who says, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things 00:22:21.72\00:22:28.02 I cannot change, the courage to change 00:22:28.05\00:22:31.41 the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. " 00:22:31.44\00:22:35.72 There are things that we can't change. 00:22:36.35\00:22:38.74 It's just what is. 00:22:38.77\00:22:40.18 But what husbands are saying is, live within your reality. 00:22:40.21\00:22:45.32 That's good. That is good. 00:22:46.63\00:22:48.53 Bad judgments when it comes to business transactions 00:22:49.16\00:22:53.79 is something that men want to emphasize. 00:22:53.82\00:22:58.47 What men are saying, including the one sitting beside you 00:22:58.50\00:23:02.45 right there, yes, when you make bad judgments, 00:23:02.48\00:23:06.18 then it limits their ability to keep including you in the 00:23:06.21\00:23:12.72 decision making process. You have to show good judgment. 00:23:12.75\00:23:16.75 There are a lot of things going around now, risky investments. 00:23:16.78\00:23:21.12 Have you gotten any of those emails 00:23:21.15\00:23:24.41 that talk about you can invest? There's some rich person 00:23:24.44\00:23:28.98 who died and they have left them with millions of dollars. 00:23:29.01\00:23:32.96 And if you send them $50,000 you'll get a million and a half? 00:23:32.99\00:23:39.17 Run away from them. It's not true, it's a hoax. 00:23:39.20\00:23:45.33 And trust me, you are going to lose your $50,000 00:23:45.36\00:23:48.16 or whatever it is. As a matter of fact, 00:23:48.19\00:23:50.23 I personally know of individuals who have invested in those 00:23:50.26\00:23:53.80 kinds of schemes and they have lost it. 00:23:53.83\00:23:56.31 So we are saying, stay away from it. 00:23:56.34\00:23:58.78 Men are asking women not to make bad business decisions. 00:23:58.81\00:24:04.24 Another concern that husbands have, and we're talking about 00:24:05.98\00:24:10.35 bad judgments. And one is that sometimes 00:24:10.38\00:24:13.28 wives overspend to the extent that they 00:24:13.31\00:24:16.37 rationalize the use of the tithe. 00:24:16.40\00:24:19.48 And so we're asking that wives understand that their 00:24:19.51\00:24:24.04 commitment to Christ is paramount and that they 00:24:24.07\00:24:28.48 need to stay within the confines of their resources 00:24:28.51\00:24:31.80 so that they do not use the offering or the tithe. 00:24:31.83\00:24:35.85 And that's a very important issue to talk about. 00:24:36.45\00:24:39.46 When God blesses us, and when God blesses you, 00:24:39.49\00:24:44.48 you're to be faithful to Him. And you're to remember that 00:24:44.51\00:24:49.56 that faithfulness includes returning your faithful tithe 00:24:49.59\00:24:56.04 and giving your freewill offering. 00:24:56.07\00:24:58.20 It's part of your God given responsibility and you 00:24:58.23\00:25:00.53 should not put yourself in such a financial bind 00:25:00.56\00:25:03.38 that you have to compromise on that which is God's. 00:25:03.41\00:25:07.32 Co-signing is another bad judgment. 00:25:07.35\00:25:10.86 Often times, a woman may rationalize, "Well, if I tell 00:25:10.89\00:25:14.81 my husband that my relatives need me to co-sign, 00:25:14.84\00:25:20.22 or a friend, a very good friend, he might say no. " 00:25:20.25\00:25:23.13 So what you might do is go behind his back 00:25:23.16\00:25:25.57 and co-sign anyway. 00:25:25.60\00:25:27.92 Remember, when you co-sign for someone, 00:25:27.95\00:25:30.56 that loan becomes yours. What you're saying is, 00:25:30.59\00:25:34.00 "If anything goes wrong, I will take up the responsibility. " 00:25:34.04\00:25:37.95 And if your husband should go to do business, 00:25:37.98\00:25:40.16 and he's going to take out a loan or whatever, 00:25:40.19\00:25:42.30 any transaction, it will show up on your report. 00:25:42.33\00:25:46.68 So, if you hide it, he will find out. 00:25:46.71\00:25:49.83 It's just a bad risky decision to make. 00:25:49.86\00:25:52.91 We need to emphasize again about anything that a man 00:25:53.78\00:25:58.77 would want a woman to know, is that she should be Godly. 00:25:58.80\00:26:03.70 We spoke about Godliness with contentment is a great thing. 00:26:03.73\00:26:08.59 You should be Godly. You should be spiritual. 00:26:08.62\00:26:11.46 A spiritual woman can make a home a happy home. 00:26:11.49\00:26:16.69 Here's what God wants from us. 00:26:16.72\00:26:19.89 John 13:34 says, "Love one another as I have loved you. " 00:26:19.92\00:26:27.39 How has God loved us? 00:26:27.42\00:26:29.16 He has loved us by giving us His life. 00:26:29.47\00:26:32.92 And He's asking us for our obedience in return. 00:26:32.95\00:26:36.01 Marriages, when placed in God's hands will demonstrate 00:26:38.90\00:26:44.18 love for each other. 00:26:44.21\00:26:46.13 "Love one another as I have loved you. " 00:26:46.16\00:26:48.81 Romans 14:13 says, "Let us not judge one another anymore. " 00:26:48.84\00:26:56.40 The notion of "anymore" means that it has been happening. 00:26:56.43\00:26:59.84 Why should we not judge? 00:26:59.87\00:27:02.20 Again, judging sets ourselves up as superior, 00:27:02.80\00:27:07.48 where God is the only judge. And while we make mistakes, 00:27:07.51\00:27:11.47 and we might cause error, we don't want to be the judge. 00:27:11.50\00:27:14.70 So we want to love each other, support each other, 00:27:14.73\00:27:17.40 and encourage each other. 00:27:17.43\00:27:18.74 So what husbands want from wives, want wives to know: 00:27:19.31\00:27:22.88 Live within your means. 00:27:22.91\00:27:24.14 Don't nag. Don't gossip. 00:27:24.17\00:27:26.55 Don't be flirtatious. Be specific in giving praise. 00:27:26.58\00:27:31.08 Accept yourself for who you are. 00:27:31.11\00:27:33.18 Bad judgment and unwise decisions are bad for business. 00:27:33.21\00:27:37.52 And above all, be a Godly woman. 00:27:37.55\00:27:41.00 Be faithful to your family. 00:27:41.03\00:27:43.03 Keep strong and may God bless you. 00:27:43.06\00:27:45.37