My Husband, My Hero
By Lisa Lakey
I fell for my cute, red-headed hubby for a number of reasons. To name a few:
- He can fix practically anything.
- He seemed utterly fearless in my eyes.
- His physical strength.
- I happen to love redheads.
He was my hero. Or was he?
It didn’t take long for him to fall off the pedestal I placed him upon—a car issue he couldn’t fix that cost us more than our meager savings. A decision he made I couldn’t understand. Normal stuff every marriage goes through.
But it shook my view of both my husband and my marriage. Why? Because I gave my husband superhero status while forgetting he was just as human as me.
It’s not fair to hold our spouses to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. But we kind of do it anyway, right? When they fail, we wonder why they didn’t try harder … do more … why they can’t get it together, for crying out loud. But when the tables are turned, we expect grace, mercy, and forgiveness to be readily available.
But we only get that from a Savior, not a spouse. And my dear husband, as great as he is, is not that.
When he was no longer on that pedestal, not only could I see him more clearly, but it also gave him the freedom to make mistakes and grow. And it gave me a chance to come alongside him and learn to be a helper.
We learned he didn’t have to be a superhero for us to make a great team. (But he’s still kind of my hero.)
Want to be the spiritual leader of your family but don’t know where to start? Read more.
The Good Stuff: The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:18)
Action Points: Make a list of expectations you have for your spouse. Go through each one and honestly ask yourself—is this something my spouse can live up to?
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