Just a Thought: Husbands should love their wives. I know what you’re thinking. You are thinking, “Well that is kind of an obvious statement, isn’t it?” And, I would have to agree, it should be. But, when the Bible makes this declaration, it also adds an example that emphasizes how un-obvious this statement is. Paul says husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church. And Christ loved the church mightily! You see, Jesus doesn’t just love the church by providing for her and protecting her. He desires to nourish her, draw close to her, and to bond with her in intimate fellowship. Jesus loves the church with a desire to become one with her. Jesus loves the church not because the church deserves His love, but, because He loved the church first. And He loves the church even when the church is unlovely. Jesus loves the church so much He laid His life down for the church. Jesus is more than a friend and companion to the church! So, Paul instructs husbands, “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Eph 5:28) In verse twenty-five, the apostle Paul stated husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church. And then he expanded the illustration to include love her like you love yourself. We know ourselves pretty well, don’t we? What would it do in a marriage if a husband and a wife sought to know their spouse like they know themselves. To learn the intimate details of one another. To bond. To share. To nourish. To cherish and care for our spouses like we do our own bodies. I have no doubt that if you asked the average husband or wife, “Do you love your spouse?” You would hear an affirmative “Yes.” But, if you then made the comparison to how Christ loved the church and how we love ourselves and asked, “Do you love them like this?” Well, we might see some shifting eyes and nervous responses. Let’s face it, we are imperfect people and we love imperfectly. So, this is all the more reason why we need to keep working on how we love and show love to our spouses. Love is an action word and requires constant attention and maintenance. Husbands should love their wives. Wives you should love your husband. But these are not as obvious of statements as they sound when we add, love them like Jesus and love them like you love yourself. Let’s commit today to take a good look at our love and ask the Lord to help us love our spouses like Christ loves the church and we love ourselves.
