When an ecard is more than just an ecard

Men are messy.

Men are stupid.

Men are incapable of taking care of themselves.

Men are overgrown children who would not survive, were it not for the saintly wives who keep them alive and out of jail.

You've heard it all before. You may have even said it, or at least laughed when someone else said one of these witticisms.

I'm not laughing, and here's why:
It isn't because I take myself too seriously. Trust me. I don't. Sometimes, I do act like an idiot. Sometimes, I am messy.

With that said, I've always been very self-reliant. I'm completely capable of doing laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming, picking out clothes that match, and making sandwiches.

I love my wife very much, but I survived very comfortably before I met her.

I don't believe I'm alone in this regard. Sure, I know guys who are immature and fairly hopeless without their wives, but I'm not willing to believe that is the rule and not the exception.

Let me be clear. I don't wanna go overboard on some internet meme. I like to think I have a pretty good sense of humor. I like to laugh, and I also try hard not to get offended by humor, because, let's be honest, people who get offended by humor, regularly, pretty much take the air out of everyone else's sails.

I don't wanna be a party pooper, but for me, this goes deeper than this one picture or pictures like it.

America's in a rough state, these days. The moral fiber of the family and of the church is crumbling from within. And I want to be upfront and tell you who doesn't deserve the blame for that:

Women.

I'm dead serious. Men have been weak. Men have been babies. Men have stood idly by and watched as their sons have grown up to be losers and their daughters? They've grown up to marry the same kind of losers they've raised.

Men don't seem to be men anymore. When I say men, I don't mean guys who play football and do lots of push ups. I mean men who support their wives, teach their kids discipline and take their families to church.

I believe that if Satan can take down men, as a whole, he takes down the whole building.

I don't mean to demean women in any of that. I'm not saying men are superior, or that women are less important. Those sentiments simply are not true, and you'll never hear me say it.

But, God built His church on men. Men are supposed to lead by example, and when they don't, I believe you'll find a pattern of God removing his blessing.

So, what does all that have to do with a silly e-card?

I'm glad you asked.

When you post things like that on the internet, you almost certainly don't mean any harm. When you joke with your girlfriends about how helpless your husband is, you probably are just having a good time.

But I encourage you to stop. You may not mean to do it, but you're neutering your husband, verbally and publicly.

The bottom line for me, is that one of two things are true:

1) The things you're saying and posting on Facebook, etc., are not true.

If this is the case, you just look silly and insecure, and you deserve to be presented as better than that.

Or

2) You're analysis is spot on, and your husband really is just a big little boy who couldn't survive without you.

I encourage you to confront this. Talk it out. It's not funny. If that's true of your husband, he should be embarrassed. I'm embarrassed for him. You guys need to work through it, and that should happen behind closed doors, maybe even in counseling. It has no place on the internet.

At the end of the day, this isn't about what women owe men. It's about what we owe each other. I love my wife. I respect my wife. I don't make fun of her behind her back or on the internet. I don't talk about my "celebrity crushes," or other women I think are hot. My wife is my crush. I've had the hots for her ever since I met her, and I don't expect that to change.

Because she gets that kind of love and respect from me, she respects me in return. She doesn't post things on Facebook about how hot Ryan Gosling is, or the things she'd do to the cast of Magic Mike if she had 10 minutes alone with them. She thinks I deserve better than that, and I appreciate that.

I'm not judging. I'm really not. But if you're a Christian, and you're married, and you're publicly disrespecting your spouse, I encourage you to really take a closer look.

Women: don't neuter your husbands. I promise, you'll be astonished at the results it will bring about in your marriage if you allow and encourage him to be a man.

Men, treat your wives with the utmost respect. Love them. Place them on pedestals. Give them a reason to treat you with the same kind of respect.

Am I way off on this one?