Staff Writer – Carol Cato
Husband and Wife: I do! I recently attended the wedding of a young couple in their 20s. It was such a beautiful occasion and as I listened to the Pastor’s speech about marriage, I thought it should be the subject of my next Blog. I began my research and came across the work of J. R. Miller. Reading the writers work, I just knew I had to share it with my readers.
However, because it will be too much to read all at once, I will be writing this over a few weeks, so please stay with me and let me have your thoughts. I have also including my own thoughts.
The Husband: Part 1 When a man offers his hand in marriage to a woman he says by his act, that his heart has made a choice of her among all women, that he has for her a deeper affection than for any other. At the marriage alter he solemnly pledges to her a continuance of that love until death.
When the beauty has faded from her face and the luster from her eyes; when old age has brought wrinkles, or when sickness or sorrow has left its marks; the faithful husband’s love is to remain deep and true as ever. His heart is still to find its truest delight in her.
My thoughts: How many of us who are married or just about to get married think about all the above. When we’re in the middle of a beautiful romance, preparing for our wedding day, we sometimes forget that everyone grows old. What if our partner gains weight or loses their hair, or even a limb, would you stay with them? Is our love deep enough before the marriage?Are we really in love or just in love with the idea of love itself?
I was once told never marry someone you’re in love with but marry someone you really like. Marrying someone you really like, you can grow to love them, but if you marry someone you love, you can only fall out of love as you may never have liked them in the first place.
Photo courtesy limbloggercheese.blogspot.com
The Scriptures give the measure of the love which husbands are to bear to their wives; ‘Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.’
A true husband realizes what this divine command involves, his selfishness dies at the marriage altar, he thinks no longer of his own comfort, but of his wife’s. He denies himself that he may bring new pleasures and comforts to her. He counts no sacrifice too great to be made which will bring benefit to her.
My thoughts: My Pastor once said that “When God puts a marriage together it’s because they both have the same purpose to fulfil”. In the initial phase, the man’s role is to protect and the woman’s is to help; the purpose tobe fulfilled will be revealed to them in time.
Every husband should understand that when the woman of his own free and deliberate choice, places her hand in his and thus becomes his wife, she has taken her life, with all its hopes and fears, all its possibilities of joy or sorrow, all its capacity for development, all it’s tender and sacred interests, and placed it in his hand. He is then under the most solemn obligation to do all in his power to make her life happy, noble and blessed.
To do this he must be ready to make any personal sacrifice. Nothing less can be implied in ‘loving as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.’ This love implies the utmost gentleness in manner. One may be faithful and true and yet lack that affection in speech and action which has such the power to satisfy the heart.
Scripture admonishes husbands to love their wives and do not be bitter against them. The teaching is that all bitterness should be suppressed in the very workings of the heart and changed into sweetness. My thoughts: Two people who come together as one should be focussed on their marriage in order to fulfil their purposes and less concerned about what the world is doing.
The woman should be free to willingly submit herself to her husband without fear of him hurting or mistreating her. He is her protector and provider. He is to love her with his every being. As I close and continue next week. If you are single in waiting, ask God to give you the patience to wait on Him to bring the right Partner to you. If you are a husband or wife pray that you marriage would be strengthened in Jesus’ name….Amen
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