Celebrating a Champion
Last Updated on December 17, 2025 by Stacy Averette
I was born in the 1960s, a child in the 1970s, and survived as a teenager in the 1980s. I had big hair and big ideas about conquering the world. I dated in high school but had no intention of getting married anytime soon. Actually, I had it all planned.
I Don’t Need A Man
My plan was simple, and it did not include looking for a husband.
- Go to college
- And Vet School (I secretly wanted to be an archeologist more than a veterinarian, which explains #3)
- Travel the world. (Now I only want to stay at home with my people. I did become an archaeologist of sorts, searching for buried treasures at the thrift store!)
- Get married.
Then I met him.
I tried not to like him.
But I fell in love.
And got married at 20.
He’s six months to the day younger than me, and I can’t imagine my life without him.
We’ve been together all of our adult lives.
Together, we’ve learned how to be adults, husband and wife, parents, and followers of Christ.
We’ve made many mistakes and hurt each other deeply.
By the grace of God, we’re still here, together.
October 11 is his birthday.
We’ll have our coffee and Bible reading time together to start the day.
We’ll celebrate with a meal at home with our adult children.
And we’ll splurge by eating cake.
God In His Wisdom
“Eat, Pray, Love” is one of our favorite movies. We’ve watched it dozens of times. While in Bali, Liz Gilbert says, “I’m sick of everyone telling me I need a man.” Felipe responds: “You don’t need a man, Liz, you need a champion.” I swear, I get choked up every single time I watch that scene. As a teenager, I dated and even had a few boyfriends. I didn’t keep any of them very long. I remember thinking, “I don’t want a man, and I certainly don’t need one.” God was preparing me for so much more. He gave me a champion.
A champion is this:
- a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition
- a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.
I haven’t always known what to do with that — I’ve had to learn how to love and live with a champion husband.
For The Men
Eric is my champion and my friend. But any man can be a champion.
You have the opportunity to be a champion for the women in your life—for your wife, daughter, sister, mother, friend, and the invitation to be a Champion for Christ.
We need you to be champions.
Here’s what I know about a champion:
He doesn’t ask or wait for permission to act like a champion.
He doesn’t announce that he is one. He can be a champion without receiving praise for being one.
He lives and loves like a champion, no matter the score, the fouls, or the unsportsmanlike conduct of the other players.
He doesn’t just fight and win for himself but for those around him, too.
He doesn’t consider his teammate (i.e., wife) a rival to defeat.
He doesn’t make excuses or blame.
He carries the load when needed but isn’t afraid to ask for help.
He knows that the God of the Angel Armies is his Champion, and he is helpless and hopeless apart from His strength and power.
The Wife of a Champion
I’m a mess sometimes.
I’m tough as nails, fiercely independent, and won’t hesitate to give my opinion.
He’s quiet and thoughtful, but he’s not afraid of me.
I’m occasionally insecure, hyper, hard-headed, and dramatic.
He’s steady, strong, and safe.
He knows his job is to love me like Christ loves the church, and he does it well.
He fights with me and for me against all my rivals—the ones that threaten my identity as the Daughter of a King.
I respect him more than any man I’ve ever known.
He makes me want to be a better wife, mother, sister, teacher, writer, and friend. I’m looking forward to celebrating his birthday, but my most incredible privilege is to honor him every day.
For the Women:
Some of you have a champion in your life. Thank God for him every day, and let your man know he’s your champion.
Some of you are wishing for a champion in your life. The man you married isn’t what you’d call a champion. But it’s not too late.
Nagging won’t help.
Prayer will.
Pray first to be a woman who fears the Lord and obeys Him. And then pray for him to lead and love like Christ.
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5:23-24
