I’ve talked before about how one of my life (and marriage) mottos is “We’re on the same team.” Many times that phrase has returned to me and been important in my attitude and my fulfilling my role as a wife.
I learned a new one the other night. I was hanging out with some girlfriends, and we were being honest about our struggles to be good wives. God-honoring in our marriages. Protecting our marriages from little foxes. And one of the girls made a statement that I can tell is going to stick with me a long time. We were talking about how we treat our husbands, and she said, “He excels at work, and I’m not there to see that. He excels at his hobby – people look to him for advice and see him as an expert. And I’m not there either. So when I get frustrated that he’s not “excelling” at home, I realize that I’m the different factor from the other areas in his life where he is excelling . . . he’s getting praise and encouragement in those other areas for how well he’s doing, and I know that makes him feel good and strive to do better . . .” And then she said it:
“I mean, I had to consider – Am I bringing out the best in him?”
Wow. It hit me square in the forehead. Do I ever consider this? Do I think about how I can bring about the best in my husband . . . ever? Am I intentional about doing things – even small things – to bring out the best in him?
I know I need to grow lots in this area. So (although my husband recoils at the thought of mayonnaise), I need to incorporate that slogan into my marriage and do a little bringing out the best.
How about you? What are your marriage mottos?
spaghettipie 
I agree with your hubby…mayo..yuck!
But I like the principle you are trying to get across!
why we take our most treasured for granted… who know’s , I guess because we can.
It doesn’t make it right though.
I find this applies to parenting my teens, they need to feel safe with the unconditional love and use me to vent, whine, etc. I hear from everyone else how polite etc they are… wish they’d remember with the woman who used to change their diapers 🙂
K – Oh, now. Mayo isn’t that bad . . . 🙂
D – We take lots of things for granted, don’t we? Do you think that comes from feeling entitled? Not counting them as blessings, gifts?