Love and Respect

"So again, I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:21-33 

So, it has finally happened. Nearly 24 years ago, we welcomed our last little princess into the world. As excited as we were, her three big sisters rivaled us in enthusiasm and joy. They had a living, wiggly little doll to play with and they just couldn't get enough. We tell people she came with "some assembly required" as her pulmonary vein was not connected to her heart. We almost lost her. This weekend, I will "give her away." Honestly, I don't like that phrase. In time and eternity, I could never give her away. I'm her daddy forever. However, as with her three sisters before her, I have to come to terms with the reality that another man will soon become her No.1. She, like her sisters, has chosen well and I believe everything good for their tomorrows.

Although a single man, Paul was acutely aware of the monumental significance of the marriage relationship. The relationship of a husband and wife is designed by God to be the steadying gravitational force of a family. The family is designed to be the building block of human society. This marriage relationship is built upon mutual submission reflected in both love and respect. Without a husband whose love is seen in the complete abandonment of self and a wife whose respect is expressed in following his lead, there will be a painful tug of war that many couples simply cannot survive. 

Paul describes this relationship as nothing short of a mystery. He even added the word "great" in front of mystery. How does God take one and one and make one? I have no idea and that's okay. God has never been and never will be bound to the limits of our understanding. Ours is to live in the wonder of who he is and the relationship with him that he invites us into. As amazing as it sounds, the marriage relationship is to be an illustration of the way that Jesus and all those who believe in him are one. If we are married today, how well does our marriage reflect Jesus' love for his people and his people's respect for him? 

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