Every time we would visit him, my grandfather would give us girls each a quarter to walk down to the nearby 7/11 and buy ourselves a Slurpee, a box of candy, and a comic book. My grandmother would berate him with a mild “Now don’t spoil their supper, Walter!” My Grandpa Walt was the kindest, most patient man I have ever met and I haven’t found his equal yet. The true love of his life was his dear wife, my Grandma Edna.
Since I was young, I dreamed of finding the “right” person to marry. I longed for someone to spend my life with—someone who would stand with me through the good times and the challenges. Like so many others, I wanted a spouse I could depend on. The key to realizing such a wonderful relationship is in its foundation, its center.
In Love and Marriage: As Christ Loved the Church, we saw that God’s plan for marriage as expressed in Ephesians 5:25 tells husbands specifically in the marriage relationship to love their own wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.
We humans are often challenged to love one another and the adversary can often divide us because of our differences in race, nationality, religion, financial status, culture, physical appearance, or intellect. I believe that the biggest hurdle we have to overcome is the difference between the sexes.
How wonderfully our God shows the challenges and victories in marriage as we read the Book of Genesis. We learn that Adam and Eve forgave one another, Noah and his wife faithfully obeyed God’s command to save life on the earth, Abraham and Sarah believed God’s promise to have a son in whom all nations would be blessed, and Isaac and Rebekah walked with God to help their son, Jacob, overcome the hateful attacks of his brother Esau.
When I wake up in the morning
I see the beauty of your face,
When I wake up in the morning
I hear the kindness of your voice,
When I wake up in the morning
I feel the warmth of your soft touch.
And I’m thankful each new morning
For the goodness of His grace,
And I’m thankful each new morning
That in His Word I can rejoice,
And I’m thankful each new morning
That both God and you love me so much.
Have you ever tried to use a camera on a single pole? Oops! Most pictures you take will either be of the ground or the sky. How about using a two-legged stand? Not much better is it? There is a reason we use a tripod! It takes three to form a solid, complete base for anything.
Three is definitely the way to go in marriage. With God at the center, a man and woman can have all they need to live a full and enriching life together as husband and wife. These three—God, the husband, and the wife—form a complete arrangement for spiritual wholeness and loving support.
Ephesians 5:22,25,33:
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence [respect] her husband.
Recently a young woman asked about two scripture verses. She was concerned that they did not fit with other truths in God’s Word, or with life. When that seems to happen, it’s good to take a closer look at what the Word really says.