LOVE LIKE JESUS
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:25-30 (NLT)
"This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."
John 15:12-13 (NLT)
As Paul continues to explain what it means to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21), he turns to the husbands and says they are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. How did Christ love the church? The next phrase gives us a hint: Jesus gave up His life for the church.
Jesus put aside any fleshly desires so that He could resist temptation. He didn't seek to fulfill His own wants, but He lived to bring all people into an eternal, loving relationship with His heavenly Father. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he did not sin. Jesus knew that living a sinless life was a requirement for Him to be a worthy sacrifice to die in our place so that we could be made right with God. Jesus loved us by dying to the preferences of His flesh and by living for the purpose of bringing us to His Father.
This passage says that a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. I believe a man who sacrifices his own preferences to help his wife walk closer with Jesus is taking great steps to strengthen his marriage as he seeks to love his wife as Christ loved the church.
APPLICATION: How can I put my spouse's needs before my own today? What can I do to help my spouse or someone else experience Jesus with me and through me today?
PRAYER: Father, show me how to put your preferences above my own. Remind me of Your love for me so I may express Your love to others. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?