Showing posts with label Marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marriage. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
In Praise of Marriage 12/12/2012
"Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Matt 19:4-7
It was the Pharisees, in one of their many attempts to test Jesus, that put forth the question, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all (v. 3)?" That same question is still being asked today. Even more tragically, the question is rarely asked any more. The papers are just drafted and that at about a 50% rate.
Beloved, this is not to criticize anyone who has ever gotten a divorce. This is to remind us of why God instituted marriage in the first place. The family, beginning with a man and a woman, is the foundation of every relationship. He established this as one of His first acts of creation. In Gen 9:7, God told Noah and his family, "As for you, be fruitful and multiply; populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." Even Christ compared the relationship between a husband and wife with that of his relationship with the church. There is great value in family and great strength to be derived from it.
I must admit to you, faithful reader, that there is a reason this subject is on my mind today. If you will forgive the indulgence, o
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
God's Gift to Men II: Loving Our Wives-9/9/2011
"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." Prov 31:27-31
It is elsewhere asked, "A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies." There are many things that a man values. We value our homes, cars, boats and other toys. These are all material things. If we are indeed truly blessed, we have been given something that exceeds fleeting objects. After life, God's first gift to man was a "helper suitable for him." Made from his own rib, the Lord prepared her and brought her to him, not as a possession but as a completion of his own self.
Beloved we so often take for granted this glorious gift. It is amazing that we spend so much time, effort and money attempting to woo the one who has captured our attention and stolen our hearts, but just as often relegate her to a status unbecoming of the part of us she truly is. Too often we think of her as someone meant to provide for our needs and to leave us alone when ESPN is on. That is not God's design. The Spirit reveals that we are to love our wives as we do our own bodies and that those of us who love them are truly loving ourselves.
Let us remember that without them, there would be no us, no sons, and no daughters. In our wives we have built in counselors, collaborators, advisers, co-creators, consciences, motivators, inspire-ers, co-producers, beauty outside of ourselves and best friends. Boats and cars are just recreation and conveyances. Homes are just houses without her. Toys can never take her place because they cannot aspire to what she is inherently made to be.
Guys, I'm sure we love and appreciate our wives, but every now and then, we need to be reminded of who she is, how important she is, how valuable she is and the gift of God that she is. Let us never lose sight of the qualities and value that caused us to make everything in life a distant second when we first met them. Put down the toys, turn off ESPN and let her know that without her, there is no you.
**Happy Birthday Michelle. I love you!**
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
It is elsewhere asked, "A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies." There are many things that a man values. We value our homes, cars, boats and other toys. These are all material things. If we are indeed truly blessed, we have been given something that exceeds fleeting objects. After life, God's first gift to man was a "helper suitable for him." Made from his own rib, the Lord prepared her and brought her to him, not as a possession but as a completion of his own self.
Beloved we so often take for granted this glorious gift. It is amazing that we spend so much time, effort and money attempting to woo the one who has captured our attention and stolen our hearts, but just as often relegate her to a status unbecoming of the part of us she truly is. Too often we think of her as someone meant to provide for our needs and to leave us alone when ESPN is on. That is not God's design. The Spirit reveals that we are to love our wives as we do our own bodies and that those of us who love them are truly loving ourselves.
Let us remember that without them, there would be no us, no sons, and no daughters. In our wives we have built in counselors, collaborators, advisers, co-creators, consciences, motivators, inspire-ers, co-producers, beauty outside of ourselves and best friends. Boats and cars are just recreation and conveyances. Homes are just houses without her. Toys can never take her place because they cannot aspire to what she is inherently made to be.
Guys, I'm sure we love and appreciate our wives, but every now and then, we need to be reminded of who she is, how important she is, how valuable she is and the gift of God that she is. Let us never lose sight of the qualities and value that caused us to make everything in life a distant second when we first met them. Put down the toys, turn off ESPN and let her know that without her, there is no you.
**Happy Birthday Michelle. I love you!**
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Friday, May 20, 2011
God's Gift to Men-DD 5/20/2011
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her," Eph 5:25
Men, we have a great responsibility to God first and immediately thereafter, to our wives. We know that from the earliest man, there was woman given to be his wife. Not only was she formed by the Creator from the man's own body but she was presented to him by God himself, Gen 2:22. Why did God do this? The scripture reveals that He determined it was not good for man to be alone and that he needed help(2:18). What could anyone take from this except that God is wise, loving, compassionate and giving?
As with every corruption of God's design, marriage has devolved to, many times, a situation of temporary convenience. It has become as disposable as a used paper towel. We enter into the institution lightly and unadvisedly and we are quick to leave it at the earliest sign of difficulty. In so doing, we damage and sometimes outright destroy our families, we start or continue a pattern for our children's view on committment and contribute to the degredation of society. God never intended it to be this way. He intened us to be together for life.
Beloved brethren, wives are an amazing gift given to us by God Himself. With and through her, we have partnership, the ability to accomplish great things, wise counsel, the ability to be obedient to God, completeness and legacy. For this great gift, we must love, respect and give thanks to the Father. We can best accomplish this by honoring and cherishing our wives. We must be willing to prioritize her needs, support her at every turn, care for her as we care for ourselves and be willing to forgo some of our own desires for her sake.
Let us remember that Christ's relationship with the church, even with us as individuals, is the model for our marriages. We were brought together by Him. By placing God first, we can stay together through Him. We as men must immitate Christ's giving to and sacrifice for the church in our relationships with our wives. Remember, she is a gift.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Men, we have a great responsibility to God first and immediately thereafter, to our wives. We know that from the earliest man, there was woman given to be his wife. Not only was she formed by the Creator from the man's own body but she was presented to him by God himself, Gen 2:22. Why did God do this? The scripture reveals that He determined it was not good for man to be alone and that he needed help(2:18). What could anyone take from this except that God is wise, loving, compassionate and giving?
As with every corruption of God's design, marriage has devolved to, many times, a situation of temporary convenience. It has become as disposable as a used paper towel. We enter into the institution lightly and unadvisedly and we are quick to leave it at the earliest sign of difficulty. In so doing, we damage and sometimes outright destroy our families, we start or continue a pattern for our children's view on committment and contribute to the degredation of society. God never intended it to be this way. He intened us to be together for life.
Beloved brethren, wives are an amazing gift given to us by God Himself. With and through her, we have partnership, the ability to accomplish great things, wise counsel, the ability to be obedient to God, completeness and legacy. For this great gift, we must love, respect and give thanks to the Father. We can best accomplish this by honoring and cherishing our wives. We must be willing to prioritize her needs, support her at every turn, care for her as we care for ourselves and be willing to forgo some of our own desires for her sake.
Let us remember that Christ's relationship with the church, even with us as individuals, is the model for our marriages. We were brought together by Him. By placing God first, we can stay together through Him. We as men must immitate Christ's giving to and sacrifice for the church in our relationships with our wives. Remember, she is a gift.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
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