Ladies, can I tell you something?

We have real and powerful influence over our husband.

It’s true.

And we must use this influence for our husband’s good and God’s glory. If not, poor outcomes are the consequence.  

We see this with Sarai and Abraham in Genesis. God tells the couple He will provide them with a child that Sarai will carry, but Sarai convinces her husband Abraham to have a child with her servant, Hagar, instead of trusting God’s plan. Do you know what the outcome of Sarai’s poor influence on her husband in this situation resulted in? A strained marriage, and the child born of Hagar led to the founding of Islam, creating a tense relationship between Jews and Arabs that continues today! (Genesis 16:1-15)

When Sarai stopped obeying and trusting God, it caused pain to herself and husband. Her influence had major impact.

I can relate.

When my husband and I were first married, I placed a lot of pressure and unrealistic expectations on him in the areas of finances, romance, and more  My influence of nagging and the cold shoulder were what I did to manipulate him. These were tactics I used to sway him to agree with me.

Yikes.  

The consequences of my influence did not strengthen our marriage, nor did it honor God.

Do you ever find yourself in similar situations? Do you fuel your husband with bad advice? Sway him with ungodly actions? Offer solutions that disobey God?

A year into our nuptials, the Holy Spirit convicted me to take a step back and examine if the influence I was projecting over my husband was good and glorifying. When I saw I was lacking, I began to change. I want to influence my husband in such a way that our marriage becomes strong, my husband blessed, and God glorified.

Sarai was a poor influence to her husband, but she later sees God’s faithfulness with the birth of her own child; a child promised by God. A child she and Abraham both fully placed in God’s hands (Genesis 21:1-6). Sarai, whose name later changes to Sarah, became a better wife, new mother, and godly role model when she stopped abusing her influence and followed the Lord (1 Peter 3:5-6).

Let’s strive to be more like Sarah. Knowing that even if we have used our influence poorly with our husband, God offers us forgiveness and allows us to change for the better. God has assigned us to be a wife and helper to our man, knowing we are fully capable of doing so with Him as our guide!

Lord, thank you for my husband. Thank you for giving me a spouse to influence for Your glory. May our marriage be and stay strong. Help me be a Sarah, placing my faith and trust in Your plan for my husband, self, and family. Allow the Holy Spirit to convict me when I use my influence for any reason other than what You want. Help me submit to my husband, and most importantly submit to You. Amen