"Wives, it can be tempting to want to solve all of your husband’s problems. It can feel like a personal attack if he doesn’t come running to tell you every single thought from his day. You’ll drive yourself CRAZY trying to ensure he knows you’re emotionally available but not smother him.

Here’s what’s better: trust that the Lord will help you meet his needs. The Lord knows you both better than you know each other. Establish open communication, remind him that you’re a safe space to share, but ultimately point him to Jesus.

Also, pose your thoughts as questions. For example, instead of risking sounding accusatory by saying, “You never open up! What’s wrong with you?” Phrase questions like this: “What keeps you from feeling like you can open up? How can I help?”

-Abbey Rzepecki

Bonus: Abbey's thoughts on finding a mentor and mentee

There’s always going to be good things to say yes to, but remember to ask the Lord for discernment on what the BEST yes is!

We aren’t meant to do life alone, so we’d label having a Paul (mentor) and a Timothy (mentee) in your life as a “best yes.” A mentor like Paul is a fabulous resource to speak on marriage topics with much more experience under his/her belt! A mentee like Timothy allows us to feel like our efforts aren’t in vain, but that God can use the lessons we’ve learned to encourage others.