I figured I would continue in a series on loving. I think one of the most important things a guy can do for his family is love his wife. Paul wrote to the Ephesians "And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. (25-29)
It amazes me how much these scriptures get taken out of context. Some husbands treat their wives like slaves. They work them like dogs. They do nothing to lift a finger to help around the house because they have "more important" things to do like warp scripture. Basically as this text says, they hate themselves when they treat their wives like slaves. Further more they act as though they are God, and make their wife and kids serve all their needs. What they are actually doing is setting themselves up as idols for their wife and kids instead of Chirst. Forget about loving and serving them. They must serve him. This text is saying to love your wife like you love yourself. Like Christ loved the church.
How did Christ actually love the church? By serving it. Jesus said, "You know in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
So it seems in order to be Christ like and qualified to even be a leader, much more a faithful husband, you must become like a servant to others. So husbands, when was the last time your served your wife? What have you done to show that you love your family by loving your wife? If you love yourself you will SERVE your wife. Your first and primary "ministry" is to your wife and then your kids. But if she is to be your slave, i.e. house cleaner, cook, diaper changer, and everything else you are either unwilling to do, or to lazy to do, then you obviously hate yourself. And your kids will grow up with a warped sense of love, and a warped sense of God's love. Maybe even to the point of rejecting His love altogether because of your example. So "wake up O sleeper" , your pride will be your families destruction.
I will end here until the next post when I continue on this subject of loving ones wife.
It amazes me how much these scriptures get taken out of context. Some husbands treat their wives like slaves. They work them like dogs. They do nothing to lift a finger to help around the house because they have "more important" things to do like warp scripture. Basically as this text says, they hate themselves when they treat their wives like slaves. Further more they act as though they are God, and make their wife and kids serve all their needs. What they are actually doing is setting themselves up as idols for their wife and kids instead of Chirst. Forget about loving and serving them. They must serve him. This text is saying to love your wife like you love yourself. Like Christ loved the church.
How did Christ actually love the church? By serving it. Jesus said, "You know in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
So it seems in order to be Christ like and qualified to even be a leader, much more a faithful husband, you must become like a servant to others. So husbands, when was the last time your served your wife? What have you done to show that you love your family by loving your wife? If you love yourself you will SERVE your wife. Your first and primary "ministry" is to your wife and then your kids. But if she is to be your slave, i.e. house cleaner, cook, diaper changer, and everything else you are either unwilling to do, or to lazy to do, then you obviously hate yourself. And your kids will grow up with a warped sense of love, and a warped sense of God's love. Maybe even to the point of rejecting His love altogether because of your example. So "wake up O sleeper" , your pride will be your families destruction.
I will end here until the next post when I continue on this subject of loving ones wife.
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