Scripture
Ephesians 5:28 – “In the same way. husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
Observation
Paul draws a direct connection between the way a man loves his wife, and the way a man loves his own body. It would be unnatural and harmful to not take care of one’s own body-and it is just as harmful for a man not to love his wife in the right way!
Application
“Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies” That makes me stop and consider: It these two things are connected, then what does the state of my body reveal about my love for my wife?
Am I diligent and intentional about taking care of my body and my physical condition even when it’s not convenient or easy? Or do I claim to value this body as a gift from God and then neglect it, take it for granted, and do the bare minimum required to keep it functional?
Jesus said that sweet water and bitter cannot flow from the same source-so I cannot be undisciplined and slovenly in one area of my life, and think that I can at the same time be intentional and purposed in another area. I can’t eat poorly, live lazily, and manage my life carelessly–and then think that I can at the same time value and love the woman whom I am called to love “…as Christ loved the church”!
Today I choose to live with self-discipline and intentionality, so that I can truly show love in the right way.
Prayer
God, thank you for my wife! Help me to love her in the same way that you love the church: completely, sacrificially, intentionally, and selflessly. Help me today to make the intentional decision to value and care for the blessings that you’ve given me!
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