A WORD IN SEASON TO THE WEARY
🌷🌷September 29🌷🌷
“…heirs together of the grace of life…” (1 Peter 3:7)
The fifth condition is, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph.5:25). This is a very, very important principle for a happy home. It is repeated four times in these few verses (Eph. 5:25, 28a, 28b, 33). God knows beforehand that many husbands are selfish. They want good food, every comfort, every convenience and especially they want obedience from the wife but no love. They say, “Your must obey, you must obey”. That is all they want. They are hardhearted husbands. They only demand certain things. Again and again Scripture says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church”. How did He love us? Not because we deserved it. We had no virtue in us. We were totally ruined by sin and defilement, yet He loved us. By grace we are saved. As we came to Him, He loved us. When we humbled ourselves, He forgave all our sins and goes on loving us. His love will never change as it says in Jer. 31:3. “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love”. Many husbands regard lust as love. God wants pure love coming from heaven. It does not depend upon physical beauty or qualification or position or property. It is the gift of God. The Lord Jesus Christ loves us and gave Himself for us. We can feel His presence. When we go to Him He receives us. Such a love is necessary. But I am sad to say, very few husbands have such a love. “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:28). We take much care of our bodies, especially when we are sick or have some pain in the body. Also we spend much time and take much care to keep the body clean and healthy. Even so, husband must be equally concerned about his wife. Then there will be oneness.
The sixth condition is, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Eph. 5:30). Do all things with one mind. True spiritual oneness must be maintained by the husband and wife to enjoy divine favour in married life. There is no need to argue about anything. By praying together, you can come to one mind for all family problems. No need to waste your time in arguments for hours together. Go upon your knees and find God’s will for all your family matters and problems.
The seventh condition for a happy home is given in Eph. 5:31. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh”. This is a very, very important principle. When you are married, live separately from your parents, whosoever you are, otherwise there will be quarrels between daughter-in-laws and mother-in-law. They quarrel with each other. The mother-in-law waits till her son comes home. When he comes home, she takes him aside, and tells him that his wife said this or that and so many things. The same thing happens the next day. Then the husband takes action against his wife. Live separately whosoever you are, if you want a happy home. Even though you have to live in a small room, it will avoid quarrels between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Otherwise, there is bound to be quarrels. The mother-in-law is bound to be jealous. Divine law cannot be changed. Live separately. They you will be happy.
Many wives depend upon gold, silver and expensive garments to look beautiful. All these things cannot give true beauty. It cannot bring true satisfaction. But learning to serve others with all humility and love, gives more beauty, “.. the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Pet. 3:4). In the same way, according to 1 Pet. 3:6,7 all the burdens must be borne by the husband. That is how they can show love and respect to each other and thus become true joint-heirs of the grace of life. Then they can share together all their spiritual experiences. That makes a happy home.
