Love

Our wedding day - December 21, 1985

Husbands, love your wives,

just as Christ loved the church

and gave himself up for her.

Ephesians 5:25

It is easy to love someone when they are agreeable, kind, attractive, or considerate, etc. With my rapidly depleting hormones lately, I am sure I don't make the cut when it comes to being easy to love. I am snappy. Irritable. Moody. I honestly don't deserve the affection my husband consistently gives me. On a daily basis He encourages me, forgives me, and mostly sacrifices so much for me. If there is any Bible verse that he personifies, it would have to be Ephesians 5:25. I know he's not perfect, but he sure is close when it comes to this obeying this command.

And when I thought about this tonight and read this verse I was reminded how much God loves His church (not the building, but the Body of Christ) in spite of our imperfections. He gave His all, sacrificially.

I can honestly say that I understand that.

I get it.

And not because of a sermon.

Not because of a Sunday School lesson.

And not even because of a song I heard.

But because of the scripture being lived out.

Because of the love of Christ dwelling in him.

My Guy.

1 John 3:18 says: Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

John MacArthur writes, "Sacrificial love is undeserved, yet it goes to the furthest extremity, as exemplified in Christ. It says, “You don’t deserve anything, but I’ll give you everything. You don’t deserve anything, but I’ll die for you. You don’t even deserve My best, but I’ll give you My life.” And Paul is saying that we are to say to our wives, 'You may not deserve all those things, you may be a sinner, and you may not be all that you could be, but that is never the issue. I love you and commit myself to you, even if you are the least deserving. And I will give you everything I have---even to the point of dying for you.'”