Those of you who enjoy organizing and tidying up are going to love today’s assignment! For the rest of us, it might feel like drudgery. Although I enjoy cleaning much more now than I did in the past, it’s never been my favorite thing.

In high school, my room was always a mess. But I figured that once I got to college, I’d keep my dorm room immaculate. When that didn’t happen, I assured myself that when I got married and had my own home, I’d keep it neat as a pin. After that plan failed, I lied to myself that the problem was with the house and not with me; the house was too cold, too old, too dirty, and too lacking in storage space. And while all of those things were true of my first home, the biggest problem was in my bathroom mirror. I just didn’t want to admit it.

Yesterday, we focused specifically on honoring our husbands in front of our kids. Our little ones are with us day in and day out, and they’re the ones most impacted by how we honor (or don’t) our spouses.

But it’s also vitally important to honor our husbands in front of others, too. We need to think about the way we treat our husbands in front of girlfriends, other couples, and even our inlaws. Are we speaking highly of him and encouraging others to think highly of him for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ? Or are we picking on him, always bringing up his faults, and muttering about our frustrations with him?

If your children knew nothing about Daddy other than what you say about him in front of them, what would their opinion of him be? Do you tell them about his hard work ethic? Do you point out the many ways in which he serves your family? Do you talk with them about fun little ways to show him how much you appreciate him?

Or do they overhear you telling a girlfriend all the ways you’re frustrated with him? Do you grumble about him under your breath? Do you nag him in front of them when he’s home?

Most of us probably do a bit of both. But today’s assignment is to honor him in front of your kids, a habit that will take time to develop.

Are you a good listener? I’m not. I hate admitting that, but there’s no denying that I’m often so lost in thought that I frequently have to ask others to repeat themselves. While I’m trying to grow in this area, I kind of feel like I’m not making much headway at times! This is definitely an area where I need help.

Learning to listen is a valuable skill. It shows that you’re interested in what others have to say. It’s a small way to show selflessness. And it can be a huge help in communicating well.

Whom do you have respect for in life? Is it a parent, a pastor, a friend? Do you respect your your country’s leader, your teacher, or even a fictional character? There may be several people in your life that you hold in high regard.

It’s good to have people we look up to, who inspire us, and whom we can imitate. But one of the most important people in our lives we should respect is our spouse. And depending on your current relationship with him, this might be an easy thing, or it may take some personal growth on your part.

Whether or not we find it easy to respect our husbands, I’m fairly certain that this is an area where we can all improve.

After yesterday’s tough challenge to focus on ourselves, today’s will come as a fun and welcome relief! And it’s very simple.

Eagerly and joyfully welcome him home!

What do your kids do when your husband pulls into the driveway after a long day at the office? If they’re anything like mine, they probably stand outside waiting for him, jump up and down when he arrives, and shower him with hugs, kisses, and squeals. They make quite the welcoming committee!

More pointed question: what do you do when your husband arrives after being gone all day? I’m usually putting the finishing touches on dinner or trying put away a few more items in a failed attempt to make the house look nicer. I’m not usually in the midst of the happy clamor that my little welcoming party makes.

“But I thought we were focusing on our husbands!” you may be thinking after reading today’s post title. Rest assured, we’re not focusing on ourselves in a selfish way!

Today’s assignment is to take a good, hard look at our own shortcomings instead of focusing on those of our husbands. This is not an easy task. It’s never fun to address the sin issues in our own lives when we could distract ourselves by trying to fix other people’s problems.

How often do you take time to inwardly reflect on yourself, taking stock of the areas where you yourself need to change or grow?

We’re all probably familiar with most of the Biblical passages on marriage. But when was the last time you sat down to deliberately read through them? Chances are good that it’s been a while - it certainly has for me.

As we seek to serve our husbands with this Wash His Feet challenge, let’s stop and spend time reviewing what God’s Word has to say about marriage and husband/wife roles. And just as important, let’s also consider the areas where we’re doing well and the areas where we could improve.

Yesterday, we talked about prioritizing our husbands. This isn’t always easy to accomplish, but today’s assignment is designed to help:

Create a haven for the two of you.

I’m not talking about an elaborate oasis filled with candles and luxury. But you do need a spot where the kids know not to interrupt you. For most couples, this will likely be your bedroom, but if you have little ones traipsing in and out or have toddlers who like to climb into bed with you, I’d suggest another spot like the couch or car where you can go if you need some kid-free space.