Husbands, Love your Wives
Ephesians 5:25-28
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.''
I've always felt kinda bad for my husband when I read through this part of the Bible. Though the verse directed toward wives seems to be more well-known (you know the one: "Wives, submit to your husbands"), this one is far more difficult. All I gotta do is submit to him as the church submits to Christ. Well, the church is full of screw-ups. Always has been. Fisherman who weren't deemed important, tax collectors who were viewed as traitors, prostitutes with their shady pasts. These are the groups Jesus chose to come and save. Therefore, my end of the bargain isn't too difficult. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I am to do the best I can, but hey: nobody's perfect.
Nobody, that is, except Jesus.
Maybe I'm takin' it too literally, but to me, this verse is saying that Cam has to do everything in his power to sacrifice for me on a daily basis. That means going out of his way to care for me, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. It's his job to help me grow closer to the Lord and call me out when he sees spiritual weeds starting to grow in my spirit. Above all, he is to lead by example, giving more of himself than he ever expects of me. He is to love me as his own body, feeding me when he feels hungry, giving me a drink when he is thirsty.... keeping me warm when he is cold. Letting me sleep in when he is tired. These are the sacrifices that come to mind when I read this scripture.
That's a pretty tall order for a not-so-tall man.
Nevertheless, I am grateful to say that I feel blessed to have Camron as my husband. Many times, he's made me think, "That's what Jesus would have done". It usually comes when I least expect it: when my daughters have awaken far earlier than I hoped they would, when I was exhausted and spent, that was when Cam stepped in and let me sleep another three hours. When cleaning the living room was the last thing I felt like doing, he told me I didn't need to worry about it and cleaned it up himself. When I had no IDEA what to make for dinner, he let me relax and watch the kids while he created a culinary masterpiece out of hardly anything.
I am blessed by my husband. Most of all, I am blessed by God, who knows what I want even before I do, and knows that my relationship with Him is more important than my own comfort level.
For all the ups and downs that life takes me through, it's good to know I have two people always by my side. :)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.''
I've always felt kinda bad for my husband when I read through this part of the Bible. Though the verse directed toward wives seems to be more well-known (you know the one: "Wives, submit to your husbands"), this one is far more difficult. All I gotta do is submit to him as the church submits to Christ. Well, the church is full of screw-ups. Always has been. Fisherman who weren't deemed important, tax collectors who were viewed as traitors, prostitutes with their shady pasts. These are the groups Jesus chose to come and save. Therefore, my end of the bargain isn't too difficult. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I am to do the best I can, but hey: nobody's perfect.
Nobody, that is, except Jesus.
Maybe I'm takin' it too literally, but to me, this verse is saying that Cam has to do everything in his power to sacrifice for me on a daily basis. That means going out of his way to care for me, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. It's his job to help me grow closer to the Lord and call me out when he sees spiritual weeds starting to grow in my spirit. Above all, he is to lead by example, giving more of himself than he ever expects of me. He is to love me as his own body, feeding me when he feels hungry, giving me a drink when he is thirsty.... keeping me warm when he is cold. Letting me sleep in when he is tired. These are the sacrifices that come to mind when I read this scripture.
That's a pretty tall order for a not-so-tall man.
Nevertheless, I am grateful to say that I feel blessed to have Camron as my husband. Many times, he's made me think, "That's what Jesus would have done". It usually comes when I least expect it: when my daughters have awaken far earlier than I hoped they would, when I was exhausted and spent, that was when Cam stepped in and let me sleep another three hours. When cleaning the living room was the last thing I felt like doing, he told me I didn't need to worry about it and cleaned it up himself. When I had no IDEA what to make for dinner, he let me relax and watch the kids while he created a culinary masterpiece out of hardly anything.
I am blessed by my husband. Most of all, I am blessed by God, who knows what I want even before I do, and knows that my relationship with Him is more important than my own comfort level.
For all the ups and downs that life takes me through, it's good to know I have two people always by my side. :)
I love my husband... :)
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