Nagging to Bragging

My mother gave me a book when I was a young woman just starting to date called "Fascinating Womanhood" by Helen B. Andelin. The book tells of how a woman can be feminine and flirty with a playful style that will endear her husband towards her rather than using her feminine charms to manipulate and coerce her husband into getting her way.


She uses the classic book "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens as an example of two types of women. In the book David has two loves "Agnes" who represents the woman who can fulfill his inner emotional needs but lacks in the area of flirtation and shall we say seduction. Then there is "Dora" who has learned how to bat her eyes and giggle at just the right times in a way that would wrap a man around her finger, of course with all of the wrong selfish intentions. The author of "Fascinating Womanhood" goes on to teach how we can bring these two women together into what a man might think of as the "perfect" woman. It is a great book that I like to pull out every once in while and glance back through.


I was reminded of the book this week with our "You da Man" project. In "Fascinating Womanhood" the author also suggest bragging on your man and to do it in a way that he would either over hear you or it would get back to him. She tells of a woman who was actually getting frustrated with her husband over not finishing a project involving her kitchen cabinets but instead of nagging him decided that she would use this bragging idea. As she was talking on the phone one day to her girlfriend with her husband in hearing distance she mentioned what wonderful job he was doing on their kitchen cabinets and how great they were going to look. Her husband not long after went out and finished the project.

Ephesians 4:29 New International Version

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen

I want to change my habits from nagging to bragging. It is amazing what happens when we as women stroke the ego of our men and even sons. I have watched my son's attitude go from really negative to down right giddy with a little stroking of his ego. In bragging we openly stroke that ego and show admiration. When my husband knows he has my admiration he his is much more likely to live up to it and want to keep it.

Lord, there are so many times I speak with out thinking. Help me to use my tongue to bring praise and encouragement to those around me. Help me to curb my criticism and speak only that which is uplifting and edifying. Amen