This morning my thoughts naturally go to what God has to say about marriage. Dave & I are celebrating our 52nd anniversary today! Wow, where did the time go?
I did a teaching on marriage once. Marriage is a growing relationship, and this verse took on new meaning.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7
You see the Lord showed me if there were things I wanted to see in my husband then I should be sowing them into his life; tenderness, kindness, respect, consideration, allowance for shortcomings. You get the picture – when we give those things, it’s like planting seed and we reap what you sow.
In our time, “love, honor and obey” weren’t really popular words to have in your wedding vows but they were in ours.
“Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Be willing to serve each other out of respect for Christ.
22 Wives, be willing to serve your husbands the same as the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. Christ is the Savior of the church, which is his body. 24 The church serves under Christ, so it is the same with you wives. You should be willing to serve your husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives the same as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. 26 He died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. 27 Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.
28 And husbands should love their wives like that. They should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself, 29 because no one ever hates his own body, but feeds and takes care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church 30 because we are parts of his body.” Ephesians 5:20-30 ERV
In those times when we don’t live out the verses above, we repent when we fail.
“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” Ephesians 5:32-33 ERV
A godly marriage is an example of how Christ loves us and gave Himself for us. He protects, provides and nurtures us. He longs for us to meet our full potential and be secure in His love.
Thank you to my husband for being an example of Christ’s love to me and for continuing to grow with me in our marriage and our love.