‘Rejoice with the wife of your youth.’ Proverbs 5:18 NKJV
The Bible says, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ… loved the church’ (Ephesians 5:25 NKJV), so let’s take another look at how Christ loved the founders of the church, His twelve disciples.
He recognised their gifts.
He rejoiced in their successes.
He supported and encouraged them to grow to their full potential.
Are you willing to do that? When you truly love someone, you won’t try to hold them back or seek to control them because of your insecurities. You’ll recognise their gifting, help them become everything God called them to be, release them, and celebrate their successes. And should their light shine brighter than yours, become their biggest cheerleader. If this wasn’t modelled in your family of origin, chances are that you’ll have to work at it. And if you had an unfaithful partner in a previous relationship, you may need to ask God to heal your heart and give you a new level of trust. Building this kind of relationship calls for a level of humility and honesty you’re probably not used to. It may require overcoming your male ego, admitting your fears, and saying to your wife, ‘I love you and I really want to trust you. Will you please help me?’
Until you get through this stage and feel more secure about your relationship, a marriage partner who truly loves you will go the extra mile when it comes to telling you where they’ve been and who they spent time with during the day. The truth is, sometimes you have to fight for your marriage—but it’s worth it, because in the end, you both win!
SoulFood: Gen 37–39, Matt 21:33–46, Ps 112, Pro 7:6–9
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
