I got into a fight today. Fortunately, there wasn’t much blood. In fact, there wasn’t any. Nothing physical ever happened, but it was a fight for sure. It wasn’t loud, unruly, or disruptive, but it still a fight. No other people could see the fight, but it was a fight none the less. What was it?
My wife had the audacity of asking me to take out the garbage. How dare she! I was busy doing something else…watching TV. What did I do? I took out the garbage. No protests, no whining, no mean words. I just did it. But my attitude was terrible. Have you ever done that? Sure you have. We all have.
Here’s what I know and am learning. Marriage is give and take. It’s conversations. It’s a team in the best sense of that term. It’s me honoring my spouse. It’s me loving my wife. It’s me letting go of my “rights” and showing respect.
What in the world does it mean for a husband should love his wife as Christ loves the church? Historically, it’s clearly born out of the Scripture. It’s something God calls us to do. It’s reflective of the way Christ loves the church. It’s a sacrificing kind of love. This love grows a strong foundation for marriage because it is giving of itself and not selfish.
“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.” —Ephesians 5:25-27