What’s the secret to being a happy wife?
Is it expecting more from your marriage? Expecting less? Does happiness come from working hard? Or from feeling content with what you have?
Author Jen Weaver – and my wife, Jean – say balance is important. They’re both guests on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “The Secret to Being a Happy Wife.”
There’s good and bad to having too-high or too-low expectations.
Jen is a self-admitted “high-expectant wife” who had a lot of ideas about how her marriage could and should operate. Over time, she realized that her husband could never meet all of her expectations.
Many women then swing the pendulum to the other side and accept their mediocre marriage. “It is what it is,” they say. Their marriage isn’t exciting. Or fulfilling. And they feel there’s no hope for improvement.
Seeking a fairy tale marriage on the one hand or settling for less than your potential on the other. What’s a wife to do?
Jen says the secret to a wife’s happiness is living out her marriage as an expression of her faith, not separate from it. A joyful marriage isn’t only God’s will, it’s a calling for each one of us. “Let marriage be held in honor among all” (Hebrews 13:4).
A wife’s perspective can limit or expand what she’s able to receive from her marriage. She’ll either seek after things of temporary value, or she’ll develop a deep connection that will carry her and her husband through hard times and teach them to grow together through difficulty as a team.
You can hear “The Secret to Being a Happy Wife” on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app. Jean Weaver and my wife Jean and I are discussing how wives can adjust their marriage expectations, focus on growth, and become closer to God.
Our conversation takes a lighthearted approach to the topic of resolving marriage conflict, but if you’re facing serious issues in your marriage, please reach out to Focus on the Family for help. Don’t stay in a situation that is abusive or dangerous to you or your children. Get to a safe place, and then call us during business hours at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Thank you to our financial supporters. Because of you, we’re able to offer those in need a free phone counseling consultation. For many people, that phone call is the beginning of a new journey toward healing.
If your marriage is in a good place and you have a heart for helping hurting couples, would you consider joining our team of supporters? I know times are tough, but if you’re able to give even a little, I’ll send you a copy of Jen’s wonderful book, A Wife’s Secret to Happiness: Receiving, Honoring, and Celebrating God’s Role for You in Your Marriage, as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. For more information, visit our website.
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