Prov 12:4   A wife of noble character is her husband's crown.

   

A wife has the possibility of making her husband look a king? A person wearing a crown is a ruler. One of the tragedies of many modern marriages is that the two people don't go into it with the attitude, “How can I bless and build my partner?” Instead, so often, there is a belief that I can change him/her by nagging them.

 

How can we bless our partner in marriage? How can we build him or her so that in old age we can look back on good years together and realize that we are now very different people, better people, because of our partner? That is what this verse is about!

 

Paul, in the New Testament, taught, wives honour your husband as you would honour the Lord (Eph 5:22) and when she puts him in this place he then has to love her as Christ loved the church and gave his life for her (Eph 5:25). Thus marriage is all about giving up oneself for one's partner, to bless them, build them, exalt them, and esteem them. When we do this for one another, both of us are changed. When we do it we become more godly, when they receive it they too are changed and will become more Christ-like. That is the staggering possibility of marriage – we have the possibility of changing someone for good simply by loving them, by lifting them, caring for them, encouraging them, making them a prince or princess!