Reason #745
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." - Ephesians 5:25
Let's be real, most people grow old together. In fact, I can't think of any husband that I personally know who gave up his life to save his wife. Usually, tragedy strikes and they don't have the opportunity. Yet, it has happened, no doubt. I just don't know that it happens all that often. And so I read this verse and I think it can seem like the men are getting off pretty easy. After all, women are called to be submissive, an action they have to carry out in their marriage on a daily basis until the end. Men are called to die for their wives, which usually never happens. But the more I read this, and the longer I've been married, I think Paul meant so much more than just giving up your life.
I would never want Aaron to die for me. Honestly, I'd race him to the bullet. We've had this conversation and he has made it clear that it's his role to protect me, but I sure would have a hard time standing by and letting that happen. However, I realized today that Aaron dies for me on a daily basis. I know what you're thinking. How is this possible? For one, he's still alive. Secondly, death is a one time event. But maybe the words I need to focus on is "gave himself up." Because there are many days that Aaron gives up his desires to meet my needs. There are many days that Aaron gives up his time and energy to help me out. There are many occasions when Aaron dies to the things he wants because he is thinking about what is best for us, not just what's best for him. There are many days Aaron dies to selfishness in order to love and serve me, and I realize that this is what Paul meant when he challenged husbands to love their wives like Christ loves the church.
Aaron has had a long week. He got a promotion at work a few weeks ago (proud wife!), and that's required more of his time. On Tuesday, he went to work at 5:00AM and came home 12 hours later. On Wednesday, he didn't get home until 9:30PM. Thursday, he went out of town, and Friday he hardly had time to sit down. This morning, after having one of the longest and most exhausting weeks ever, he had to get up and go to a meeting at 8:00AM while Scout and I enjoyed sleeping in. He came home and found me scrubbing the kitchen. Truthfully, I had nothing else on my agenda so I figured I'd just clean the house. I wasn't going to ask for any help. I knew he was tired, and I didn't blame him if he wanted to take a nap all afternoon. But he changed clothes and said, "What can I help you with?" He vacuumed the entire house, helped me with my chores, and did it all willingly. Today, when he could have selfishly spent his time doing what he wanted, he gave up his desires to meet mine. Not because he had to, not because I made him, simply because Aaron does a good job of loving me like Christ loves the church.
I think we make it too hard. Either that, our we just take it at face value and feel good that'd we'd be willing to do the bare minimum. I bet if you asked any man if he'd die for his wife, he'd say yes. After all, he'd kind of be a jerk if he said anything else. But truthfully, I think about 99.9% of husbands would willingly take on this call. But what if we read between the lines, if we looked at Christ's life and realized that He came to do so much more than die. He came to serve. He came to give of himself before He gave up himself. He didn't just do the bare minimum. No, he went above and beyond for the church. He loved her, forgave her, encouraged her, supported her, showed her grace, mercy, compassion, and kindness. He came to die for her, but He did a whole, whole lot for her before His 33 years were up.
I am thankful for a God who loves so dearly that He constantly gives us so much of himself. For a God who gave of himself and gave up himself. And, I am thankful for a husband who, I know undoubtedly, would give up his life to save me. But more than that, I am thankful for all of the many ways he gives of himself to love me like Christ loves the church.
#745 - Because He gave of himself and he gave up himself.
"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." - Ephesians 5:23
Let's be real, most people grow old together. In fact, I can't think of any husband that I personally know who gave up his life to save his wife. Usually, tragedy strikes and they don't have the opportunity. Yet, it has happened, no doubt. I just don't know that it happens all that often. And so I read this verse and I think it can seem like the men are getting off pretty easy. After all, women are called to be submissive, an action they have to carry out in their marriage on a daily basis until the end. Men are called to die for their wives, which usually never happens. But the more I read this, and the longer I've been married, I think Paul meant so much more than just giving up your life.
I would never want Aaron to die for me. Honestly, I'd race him to the bullet. We've had this conversation and he has made it clear that it's his role to protect me, but I sure would have a hard time standing by and letting that happen. However, I realized today that Aaron dies for me on a daily basis. I know what you're thinking. How is this possible? For one, he's still alive. Secondly, death is a one time event. But maybe the words I need to focus on is "gave himself up." Because there are many days that Aaron gives up his desires to meet my needs. There are many days that Aaron gives up his time and energy to help me out. There are many occasions when Aaron dies to the things he wants because he is thinking about what is best for us, not just what's best for him. There are many days Aaron dies to selfishness in order to love and serve me, and I realize that this is what Paul meant when he challenged husbands to love their wives like Christ loves the church.
Aaron has had a long week. He got a promotion at work a few weeks ago (proud wife!), and that's required more of his time. On Tuesday, he went to work at 5:00AM and came home 12 hours later. On Wednesday, he didn't get home until 9:30PM. Thursday, he went out of town, and Friday he hardly had time to sit down. This morning, after having one of the longest and most exhausting weeks ever, he had to get up and go to a meeting at 8:00AM while Scout and I enjoyed sleeping in. He came home and found me scrubbing the kitchen. Truthfully, I had nothing else on my agenda so I figured I'd just clean the house. I wasn't going to ask for any help. I knew he was tired, and I didn't blame him if he wanted to take a nap all afternoon. But he changed clothes and said, "What can I help you with?" He vacuumed the entire house, helped me with my chores, and did it all willingly. Today, when he could have selfishly spent his time doing what he wanted, he gave up his desires to meet mine. Not because he had to, not because I made him, simply because Aaron does a good job of loving me like Christ loves the church.
I think we make it too hard. Either that, our we just take it at face value and feel good that'd we'd be willing to do the bare minimum. I bet if you asked any man if he'd die for his wife, he'd say yes. After all, he'd kind of be a jerk if he said anything else. But truthfully, I think about 99.9% of husbands would willingly take on this call. But what if we read between the lines, if we looked at Christ's life and realized that He came to do so much more than die. He came to serve. He came to give of himself before He gave up himself. He didn't just do the bare minimum. No, he went above and beyond for the church. He loved her, forgave her, encouraged her, supported her, showed her grace, mercy, compassion, and kindness. He came to die for her, but He did a whole, whole lot for her before His 33 years were up.
I am thankful for a God who loves so dearly that He constantly gives us so much of himself. For a God who gave of himself and gave up himself. And, I am thankful for a husband who, I know undoubtedly, would give up his life to save me. But more than that, I am thankful for all of the many ways he gives of himself to love me like Christ loves the church.
#745 - Because He gave of himself and he gave up himself.
"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." - Ephesians 5:23