Sunday Love

So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.Genesis 29:20 (NLT)

Love at Home (Taken from YouVersion.com)

Legend tells of an attractive young couple who boarded a train for the traditional honeymoon at Niagara Falls. That they were very much in love was apparent to all who saw them. Suddenly, the bride found herself hurling insults at her husband, and his rejoinders matched hers in bitterness and venom. Then she discovered a stranger sitting next to her whose presence had caused the transformation. “How did you get in here?” she gasped. “And who are you?” The stranger softly answered, “I’m Ten-years-from-now.”

Many marriages are under stresses that threaten to destroy them. The sweetness of the honeymoon has worn off, and the business of living has caused some abrasions. Paul understood these problems, and he spent much time admonishing husbands and wives. Here is his formula for a happy home and a lasting marriage.

There must be one leader in the home, and God ordained the man to be that. But the man has a spiritual obligation to deeply love his wife as his own body. Both are to cling to each other rather than side against each other with relatives. The admonition to love is so strong that Paul repeated it again and likened the husband-wife relationship to that of Christ and His church. In today’s prayer period, let us pray for a deeper love in our homes.

Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

22-24 Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

25-28 Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.

29-33 No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become “one flesh.” This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honor her husband.

What do you think about this? Are you being treated well by your husband.? Do you feel honored by your wife?

Husbands if you don’t love yourself, how are you going to love your wife?

In Ephesians 5:28, Paul wrote “In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.”

What a very profound passage of scripture. Paul is stating that we should love our wives just like we love our own bodies. In most cases does this happen? No!

I know many arguments between PG and I ensued because she would make suggestions that she felt would be to my benefit and she felt that I would deliberately do the opposite.

Consciously, or subconsciously I am sure I probably did the opposite because following her lead meant that I couldn’t think for myself; that my idea wouldn’t work. So instead of taking care of my body, or in essence showing love for my spouse, I did the opposite. I wasn’t showing love for my myself, which was an eye opener. Men is this happening to you? Are you insecure of your wife’s personality or the fact that she makes more money than you? If  this is true, then your interaction with her will reflect that and it will affect your marriage.

Digesting this passage helped me to realize that if I love myself, which I do, then I must love my wife the same love. And husbands out there..You should too!

Here are 3 ways to show love for your wife!

• Acknowledge your wife’s ideas, even if you take them.
• Find out what are the little things that irk her.
• Push her to greatness!

Husbands, what are some other ways that you can show love for your wife, and in essence show love for yourself.

Coach Keith