The Power Of Listening To Your Spouse

Friends have often pointed out to me that my wife, Lauren and I are very opposite. I’d have to agree with them and say that it’s true. However, as long as Lauren and I recognize and appreciate each other in our differences, we actually can really help each other to maximize our giftings.

I’ve seen many couples who have opposite strengths and weaknesses in areas like finances, where the husband has debt and isn’t great with his spending, and the wife excels in budgeting. The biggest problem isn’t that the husband isn’t great with spending, it’s when He doesn’t lean on his wife’s strength in that area and listen to her.

By not listening to his wife he’s limiting himself to his ability, and he’s limiting his wife’s strengths to his weaknesses. By not listening to one another, the whole marriage is being limited to their weaknesses. Being willing to submit to your spouse's strengths, when you know it’s not your's is a great sign of humility.

Sometimes it’s worth it to change your beliefs and behaviors. Embracing the differences between you and your spouse in an efficient way can help you harness the power of being opposite, and help your marriage grow, as well of each of you as individuals.