An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. — Proverbs 12:4

When I read these one-liners from Solomon, I have to remind myself that Solomon's addressing his son. His goal is to pass on wisdom for the marriage in his son's future. And if you are a father listening today, you need to practice what Solomon is doing here. He is telling his son that his wife's character is vital because it affects a marriage.

And based on the wisdom he shares, I think Solomon has seen both kinds of marriages. He has seen excellent marriages fortified by the godly character in a wife. And he has seen marriages that are shameful, which result from the ungodly character in a wife. Now, this is not to suggest the success or shame of marriage lies entirely with the wife — it doesn't. Ungodly men bring shame to marriages as well.

But notice the effect of ungodly character. Solomon refers to its effect as "rottenness in the bones." Inferring that, it eats at us from the inside out. Gentlemen, this is a marriage killer. Ungodly character is a slow-moving cancer that silently eats away at marriage with unspoken shame. And this is hard to address once the rottenness takes hold.

But here's the upside — there is a wife whose character is excellent. And the excellence of her character has a profound impact. It's a crown for a husband because it brings pride, adornment, and glory to marriage — not just attention to us but attention to God.

So if you are unmarried and desire to be married, find a woman of godly character! Because a woman like this is powerful, excellent, and beautiful. And she's going to have an impact on you.

If you are married, how about a shout-out to your wife today? Share in the comments below a godly character trait she has that you adore. Give her a little praise so other unmarried men can see how our wives bring joy to us and glory to God.

ASK THIS: What's a godly character you want in a wife or that your wife has?

DO THIS: Share it below (and then tell her).

PRAY THIS: God, bring out the good and godly in my wife. And when I see it, remind me to give her praise.

PLAY THIS: God Of Life — ICF Worship.

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