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Monday, July 28,
2008
A Loving Husband
Ephesians 5:25-26 Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26)
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word, (KJV)
Picture this if you would, there is a
knock on the door, dad gets up from his chair and answers to a young boy
nervously standing there asking if the daughter is ready to go out on a
first date. Dad himself is a bit nervous, checking the young boy out to see
if he is right for his daughter, which in reality no one is, but giving him
the once over to make sure this is someone who can be trusted with his
precious offspring. Point is guys, remember that woman you went courting
after years ago; you know that woman you just couldn’t live without? So how
are things going these days, is there still a love for that woman; you know
like how Christ loves His church and puts the need of the Church first and
foremost, or has that love waned a bit, like a candle flickering in the
wind? Oh by the way, that woman you dated and then decided to marry, that
Christian lady is someone’s daughter also, someone who is always checking
you out to see if that godly woman is being treated the way her Father in
heaven expects her to be treated. So again gentlemen, how is that marriage
and home life going these days; is there still a love for that woman like
you pledged to her and her Father in the beginning, or has it been put on
the back burner for something else? Hey guys, aren’t you glad God isn’t as
fickle as you are, you know the fact that His love for you doesn’t change
just because you have aged and maybe added a few pounds to the temple?
Isn’t it comforting to know that His love for us won’t change or be altered
by other younger and what may appear more seemingly attractive people
according to the outward appearance?
1 Timothy 3:1-6 This is a true saying, If
a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. (2) A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good
behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (3) Not given to wine, no
striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not
covetous; (4) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in
subjection with all gravity; (5) (For if a man know not how to rule his own
house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) (6) Not a novice, lest
being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
(KJV)
So you want to be a bishop, an overseer of
the flock as well as an example of the believers, not only in word but in
deed as well? That is a good thing, but how is that home life going for you
these days, and is there anything that is being overlooked and taken for
granted, you know like that wife you chose and those children you chose to
bring into this world? Unless you have your house in order, and loving your
wife the way Christ loves His church you have no business being in that
position. While you may have had a strong desire to serve the Lord in a
larger capacity, that being a bishop, you need to keep in mind the
commitments you have made already, like with that woman that has the same
last name as you, before the Lord will put you in a position of authority
in the Church. Are you willing to be a servant, not only for the Church but
at home as well; you know like in the beginning when you did all you could
to impress your wife and treat her with nothing less than the utmost
respect and honor, especially the fact that she is a child of God and one
of His precious daughters? All those promises you made to her in the
beginning to win her over, are they still being carried out or has she
become the servant and you think you are the master? You know it may sound
a bit petty or unimportant, but if you are not going to be faithful in the
least, or what you may consider the least though at one time it was huge,
then you won’t be faithful in much else either. Simply put, if you are not
following through on your marriage vows the way you promised our Lord and
His daughter in the beginning of your marriage, what makes you think He is
going to trust you to oversee and make vows to others when you have taken
for granted your home life?
John 15:11-13 These things have I spoken
unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
(12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
(13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends. (KJV)
Do you really understand the love of God?
You know putting others and their needs first and foremost even before your
own? Jesus Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, outside and
separated by sin, so how much more should we be dying to self for those of
our own household? So if you are fickle, flighty, giving half hearted
efforts at home and not building up your wife in the word of God, but
rather criticizing and tearing down; or if you were to become a bishop in
the Church, how long would it be before you lose interest and treat the congregation
the same way? Do remember guys, you know when your precious little daughter
came home from her first date and you quizzed her about her whereabouts and
what took place? There is a God in heaven that is quizzing you right back
about the whereabouts of His daughter and what is taken place spiritually
under your watch also. Aren’t you glad God isn’t as fickle as we are and
that His love doesn’t change for us, but that He loves us unconditionally
for who we are? With that in mind,
can you honestly compare your love today for your wife on the same level as
what Christ has for His church, or maybe there is room for improvement?
Something to ponder before you decide it is time to move up in your walk,
something our Lord definitely is watching before He would appoint you or
anyone else to the position of an elder, deacon, or bishop of His church.
The bar has been raised gentlemen, raised up and in heavenly places, so for
today can you honestly say that your love for your wife truly compares with
the love Christ has for His church?
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