Wednesday, February 15th
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
– Ephesians 5:33
2 Pillars of Marriage
We see in this final verse of Ephesians 5, as Paul is discussing Godly marriages, that Paul roots flourishing marriages in LOVE and RESPECT.
Throughout this week, I have quoted Dr. Ray Ortlund, the author of Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel, multiple times. His discussion and application of Ephesians 5:33 is fantastic. So instead of me trying to repackage Dr. Ortlunds masterpiece, I’d rather just let you hear it straight from him.
“For the husband, remember that God made Eve from Adam, for Adam, as his dear partner in life to help him follow the divine call. But now, in our broken world of today, deep in the heart of every wife is the self-doubt that wonders, “Do I please him? Am I the one he dreamed of and longed for? Will he love me to the end? Am I safe with this man I married? Will he cast me off? Even if we go the distance, will he get tired of me?”
A wise husband will understand that that uncertainty, that question, is way down deep in his wife’s heart. And he will spend his life speaking into it, gently and tenderly communicating to her in many ways, “Darling, you are the one I want. I cherish you. I rejoice over you, as no other. The thought of living without you is horrible to me. I love the thought of growing old together with you, hand in hand all the way. I will hold you close to my heart until my dying day.”
A wise husband prizes and praises his wife above all others. That is why the word love is in verse 33. Love breathes life into a woman.
For the wife, remember that God made Adam first and put him in the garden with a job to do, a mission to fulfill, a mountain to climb. But now, in our broken world of today, deep in the heart of every man is the self-doubt that wonders, “Am I man enough to meet the challenge God has called me to? Can I fulfill my destiny? Won’t I end up failing? Is there any point in even trying?” That question is way down deep inside the heart of every husband.
A wise wife will understand that. And she will spend her life speaking into it, communicating to her husband in many ways, “Honey, I believe in you. I know you can follow God’s call, by God’s grace, for God’s glory. The Lord is with you, and so am I. Let’s go for it!”
A wise wife will never put her husband down or laugh at him but will greatly strengthen him and build him up, for God’s glory. He will accomplish more by the power of her respect than he ever could on his own. That is why the word respect appears in verse 33. Respect breathes life into a man.”
May we be a people who build our marriage on Love and Respect.
PRAYER
Our Father,
Thank you for your Word. We pray that by your Spirit, Ephesians 5:33 would change us into the likeness of Christ. We pray that you would help us to build our marriages on love and respect. Father, we pray this now through The Son and By the Spirit. Amen.
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