Husbands & Last Minute Gift Ideas

Some men excel at gift-giving, but a large swath of the male population is relatively unsuccessful at this endeavor. The commercialization of Christmas amplifies the situation. Online searches lead some husbands to choose disastrous gift options such as a map of the stars, a phone sanitizer, or even monogrammed coasters. [Disclaimer: if you have received or given any of these gifts, of course, it has been out of love]. It is well-known diamonds are a girl's best friend; however, we know for many 2020 has been a challenging year. In the end, what is a husband to do?

No matter what you are able to purchase for your wife this Christmas, every husband has the opportunity to give a gift that will bless his wife and family for years to come. The Bible says, “The righteous walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!” Whether you are a young man or a seasoned citizen, the Lord's encouragement to all of us is to believe upon Christ for the forgiveness of sin and walk in the integrity of his righteousness.

The integrity referred to in this proverb is of a heart that is whole. This is the opposite of a divided heart. It is appropriate to admit when we feel tempted by divided loyalties. The greatest gift we could give our wives is to humble ourselves before the Father together with them and ask for him to make our hearts whole. He alone is able to do this. We are unable to attain righteousness on our own, but the Lord can give us a new heart, in the Holy Spirit. The purity of heart that comes from honestly seeking the Lord together with our wife is the basis of marriage. The power for this comes through trusting in the righteous work of Christ on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. The greatest weapon against temptation and the enemy in our lives is walking with our wives together in the fellowship of the Lord. This does not occur through bluffing through life as if we are not in need of a Savior. Rather, salvation and power are experienced as we freely admit our desperation for Christ and his saving grace.

This Christmas, may we give our wives the gift of the integrity of our hearts. May we offer ourselves to our wives and open our thoughts and emotions to them before the Lord. This is what it means to be one, together with her and the Lord in marriage. As we share life, confess sin, and continually pour out our heart to the Father with our wife in worship, the Lord progressively reconciles our heart, our marriage, and empowers us through his Holy Spirit to experience his purpose in and through us. When we walk with our wives together with the Lord and his church, it is the best gift we could ever give our family.

*Proverbs 20:7; 1 John 1:5-10; James 5:16; Ephesians 5:22-33