Happy Wife, Happy Life?

Conventional wisdom: Happy wife, happy life.

This is both true and false in really important ways. If your wife is a naturally happy person, and you steward this well, you will have a happier life. But if you believe you are called to serve your wife for the intent of making her happy, then you will fall into the trap many Aussie men have fallen into, where they fear their wives and become subservient to them. 

The Bible gives better advice, seek to please each other, "33 But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife…34 But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband” (1 Cor. 7:33-34). 

Men do not exist to please their wives in a vacuum. Husbands and wives will both be better off if they seek to please each other. 

But even this advice is incomplete, because a man is also called to lead, and sometimes righteous leadership meets with rebellion. If you only ever try to make your wife happy, you will find yourself enabling rebellion. 

It might not rhyme, but happy home, happy life is better wisdom. You won't have a happy home if you do everything to please your wife including enabling sin.