Men, if you don’t want to be challenged then you should stop reading now. I’ll give you a minute…….. OK, if you’re still with me then you’re either curious to see what crazy thing I might say or you genuinely want to be challenged by God.
Tonight, my wife asked me to pray for her because she was having a physical problem. As I prayed by myself, I realized that I needed to repent for not praying for her more today. I love my wife (Kim) and I am devoted to not only her physical well being but her spiritual well being as well. I pray for her every day, some days more than others. Today has been sort of a busy day for us and I haven’t prayed as diligently as normal. After I finished praying for Kim I continued talking to God and felt like this is something I should share with other men.
For a long time, I have felt very strongly about a man’s role in a marriage. The bible doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about marriage roles specifically but what God does say is quite clear. God tells us in Ephesians 5:25-33:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Men, how much do you love your wife? How important is your marriage to you? Do you love your wife like Jesus loves the church?
We always talk about Jesus dying for the church and that’s how we should love our wives but that’s too easy. Which one of us wouldn’t die for his wife? Even when I was out of God’s will and not loving Kim the way I should, I would have died for her. Jesus didn’t just die for us, He gave up his life, His well being, and even his will for the church (not my will but thy will be done). Jesus did this because he desires to spend time with the church. He wants time with us now and forever. Do we want the same with our wives? How much are you willing to sacrifice to be able to spend time with your wife? Are you a burden to your wife? How much value do you add to her life, and I’m not just talking about you being a provider? Are you selfish? How often do you take care of yourself before you take care of your wife (or kids)? Does she get the first drink of a freshly opened drink or does she get the last bite of desert?
If you are really honest with yourself, these are some very hard and convicting questions. Isn’t your marriage worth you being uncomfortable a little? Outside of our relationship with God, the next most important thing to Him is our relationship with our wife.
My challenge to you is this; love your wife like Christ loves the church. Read Ephesians 5:25 – 33 until you really know what it means. Next, pray for your wife. Seek God for her. You are the spiritual leader in your house, act like it. I strongly suggest that every man watch Fire Proof. Every husband should do the love dare or part of it.
Good luck men, you can do it!
