MONDAY July 8, 2024
Love’s Oneness
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
Ephesians 5:28-30
Most husbands like to maintain themselves physically. They go to the gym or work out at home, taking the necessary time and effort to care for their bodies. Think about it. How much time do you spend on yourself? Why not devote the same amount of time and effort in loving and caring for your wife?
In Ephesians 5:33, another final exhortation is given: Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself…. Can your wife see clear evidence of your love for her in your words and actions? Even the little things you do for her really matter. Take care of your wife, nourish her, love her, and enjoy being alone with her. You are one!
A husband who fails to obey the Scriptures to love his wife as Christ loves the Church can begin to despise her as she grows older. Instead of drawing closer to her in their final years together, a husband can begin to lose interest and move away from her. His time and interests are invested in other things.
Seriously, if you feel you have lost your love for your wife, then pray and even fast a meal, asking God to renew your love for your wife. God can heal your marriage and give you a brand-new passion for her.
Love...is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself.
~C. S. Lewis~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
