LOVING OUR WIVES

Ephesians 5:25-26 New Living Translation

“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.”

            Today was a day of reflection for me. The Lord revealed a simple truth to me that humbled me and filled me with regret. I opened Bible Gateway online and was confronted by the verses above. They hit me right squarely between the eyes. I haven’t loved my wife the way Christ loved the church and died for it.     

           It’s a sobering thing when you go rolling along thru your life and only when you are in your early 60’s realize you are selfish. In fact, you’ve been selfish most of your adult life. It’s an eye opener to say the least. I had to call my wife during lunch break and ask for her forgiveness. Now this neither makes me a super Christian nor a super husband. What it makes me is obedient. I’d been disobedient to God in this area most of my life and I will be making a change immediately. With God’s help I will become exactly what my wife needs me to be.

            What these verses are really telling us men is that we are to love our wives with a self-sacrificial heart. There is no room for selfish thoughts or actions. They must be purged out. God desires that we follow his instructions for living. They aren’t suggestions, but decrees. God presents these things to us in that fashion because he knows without question or hesitation that if we follow them we will achieve the greatest benefit. If we want contented and loving spouses, then they must come right after God in importance in our lives. Our wives are far too precious to be overlooked or taken for granted. 

            We expect our wives to honor, respect and obey us, but we don’t love them as scripture says we ought to. If we do as we are instructed, our wives will honor and respect us. Too many husbands seem to think they are to govern their wives. You might come to that conclusion if you read the verse out of context, but for those who truly want to know the truth of the matter, they will read scripture regarding the entirety of the subject. We are called to love them as Christ loved and still loves the church. Period. Do that and you’ve done what God expects of you. Anything less and you have missed the mark. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: www.biblegateway.com