Husband After God's Own Heart , livre ebook

Harvest House Publishers, Inc. - Jim George

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100 pages

English

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A more fulfilling marriage is within the reach of every husband--and getting there is not as difficult as you might think.In A Husband After God's Own Heart, bestselling author Jim George points you to the little touches that can bring big results. They're based on clear and simple priorities found in the Bible, and they will help...make you the husband God meant for you to bebring you and your wife closer together as a teamimprove your listening and communication skillsstrengthen your marriage and family relationshipsadd more fun to your times togetherEspecially valuable are the "Little Things That Make a Big Difference" applications at the end of every chapter. You'll be amazed at how small steps, in the right direction, can help you enjoy a better marriage.

Informations

Publié par	Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
Date de parution	01 janvier 2004
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780736930819
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0646€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Italicized text in Scripture quotations indicates author s emphasis.
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cover photo William Faulder/Getty Images
A HUSBAND AFTER GOD S OWN HEART
Copyright 2004 by Jim George
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
George, Jim, 1943-
A husband after God s own heart / Jim George.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-7369-1166-9 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-3081-9 (eBook)
1. Husbands-Religious life. 2. Marriage-Religious aspects-Christianity. I. Title.
BV4528.2.G456 2004
248.8'425-dc22
2003018822
All rights reserved . No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
For Elizabeth, my faithful life companion and friend!
Contents
Dedication
Becoming A Husband After God s Own Heart
1. Growing in the Lord
2. Working as a Team
3. Learning to Communicate
4. Enjoying Intimacy
5. Managing Your Money
6. Keeping Up the Home
7. Raising Your Children
8. Extending Love to Family
9. Tending Your Career
10. Making Time for Fun
11. Serving the Lord
12. Reaching Out to Others
Study Questions
Notes
An Invitation to Write
Becoming

A Husband After God s Own Heart
A Husband After God s Own Heart has been nearly 40 years in the making. Why? Because that s how long I ve been developing as a husband. And now I have taken pen in hand in response to the many requests that have come my way-requests from both men and wives-asking me to address the specific and most important area of a married man s life, that of his relationship with his wife.
Marriage is a lot of work! But isn t it encouraging to know that God, the Creator of marriage, has already provided everything you need to fulfill His will and design for you as a husband? In this book we will look at
12 areas of your life as a husband -what the Bible says about the areas that really matter to the health and vibrancy of your marriage. In addition, I ve included
a list of little things at the end of each chapter. These little things are designed to encourage, motivate, and guide you to work out the many little ways you can practically fulfill your role as a husband.
a list of study questions at the back of the book. These questions are written to enrich your personal knowledge and application of the biblical and practical truths shared throughout this book.
I invite you to join me in a journey down the path of comprehending and implementing God s desires for us as husbands. And to make this journey even more enjoyable, ask your wife to join in it with you and read along in her copy of my wife s companion book, A Wife After God s Own Heart , by Elizabeth George.
Friend and brother, no matter what your age or the state of your marriage today, and no matter what season of marriage you and your wife have entered, this book presents God s timeless guidelines for you as a husband. You can
read it before you marry
read it alone to enhance your marriage
read it together with your wife
read it in a men s or couples Bible study
read it in your men s Sunday school class
read it in your couples Sunday school class
May God richly bless you as you continue growing as a Christian, in your faith, and in your understanding of what it means to be a husband after God s own heart!
1

Growing in the Lord
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you .
M ATTHEW 6:33
W hen I was a young boy, I couldn t wait to grow physically. At each phase of my early life, I wanted desperately to have the physical maturity to compete in sports at the next level with the big boys! And even while I was at one particular point of growth, I exercised daily to develop my body to compete in sports at the next level.
On the other hand, when it came to growing in the mental area, I wasn t quite as motivated. My parents didn t have much formal education, so they were happy with whatever I accomplished in school. Surprisingly enough, with all of my efforts to succeed in the physical area, I ended up excelling in school in the mental arena.
And then there was the spiritual area of my life. I would like to report that my spiritual growth, which started when I was just six years old, was a magnificent upward spiral, and that it had few, if any, valleys. But no. Sad to say, my spiritual growth in those early years was an up-and-down roller coaster. And the downward drop on that roller coaster continued on into my early adult life and had a serious effect on my marriage.
I ll share more about my spiritual growth and the how-to s of growing in the Lord throughout this chapter, but for now, I want to make the statement (and I m sure you will agree) that spiritual growth takes even more effort than physical growth.
It s true that spiritual development takes terrific effort. But, my friend, it s also true that the rewards are great, especially when it comes to being a husband and that s what this book is all about. I want us to note how growing in the Lord occurs, and how that growth gives essential help for you and me for our life in general and our marriage and family in particular.
And keep this in mind as you read: No matter how old you are or how long-or short!-you ve been married, the day you accelerate your growth in the Lord is the day your marriage is positively impacted, improved, and strengthened!
First Things First
If you re like most men and husbands, you re probably extremely busy. You re out there in the world every day, working and slaving away. Then, when you get home, more work awaits you-the work of taking care of your home and finances. And if you have children, you get home only to switch hats and try to be a good dad. With all these responsibilities, it s easy to conclude that there just isn t any time for growing spiritually.
Well, my new friend, that s why we want to start our study of what it means to be A Husband After God s Own Heart with this most strategic topic. Why?
Spiritual growth determines priorities . Spiritual growth is the key to all that s important in your life. That s what Jesus meant 2000 years ago when He told a listening audience not to be anxious about life and living. He said, Do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? (Matthew 6:31). These things are definitely needful, but they are not what s really important. They are not your first priority.
What is really important is your spiritual growth. Why? Jesus went on to say that instead of worrying about the necessities of daily life, you should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (verse 33). In other words, you are to seek a life of spiritual growth and following after God s priorities for your life. Then, friend, God will provide for you and your family. That s God s promise! Seek God and have everything! Seek the world and lose everything (Luke 9:25). The right choice seems pretty obvious, doesn t it?
Put first things first and we get second things thrown in:
Put second things first and we lose both first and second things. 1
Spiritual growth promotes purity . Besides determining a man s priorities, spiritual growth also promises help in the area of purity. In Psalm 119:9 the psalmist asked the question, How can a young man keep his way pure? ( NASB ). Of all the questions men ask me, most of them deal with the area of purity. With all that is going on in our world today, Christian men are having a hard time staying pure, thinking pure thoughts, and developing pure habits.
But this is not new. Temptation and sin have been around since the beginning of history. God knows the struggles we face. In fact, God faced those same issues first-hand in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:17-18). And God says we can have victory. How? In the psalm I just shared, the psalmist answered his question on purity in the same verse with this advice, By taking heed according to Your word (verse 9). Victory is ours if and when we heed God and His Word. So spiritual growth-through prayer, study of the Bible, and obedience-is the answer. Again, the psalmist follows up his earlier question of purity with this answer: With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:10-11).
Do you struggle with purity? If so, you are not alone. The Bible says that temptations are common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). No man is immune to sexual temptation or a myriad of other kinds