There are times when the holiest response in marriage is a calm, firm, and loving no.
With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.
Love And Discernment
Clearly, Delilah used emotional manipulation to have her evil way. The question every Christian man must constantly contend with is how to distinguish a genuine complaint that needs serious, loving consideration from ill-motivated, self-seeking nagging.
Every married Christian man has an imperfect wife, which means some demands made on him may not emanate from holy sources. Does loving your wife therefore mean saying yes to everything she says? Samson's tragedy suggests a resounding no.
Considerate, But Not Controlled
There will be times when the holiest response will have to be a calm, firm, and loving no. But before making that choice, we must be very careful, considering the injunction in 1 Peter 3:7 that directs Christian husbands to be considerate lest their prayers be hindered.
When emotion coupled with urgency is used without regard for prayer and consideration, that is a red flag. You may be dealing with a case of Delilah's strategy. The call to be a Christian husband has never been a walk in the park.
