Giving up even an ounce of precious freedom is a very serious thing to do.
- Charles Schumer
Very rarely does anyone want to give up anything. Control, money, power, house, cars, life, time, job, vacation, etc... Giving something up for another means, "I don't have as much as I did and that makes me less of a person!" This seems serious...
So what does the verse mean in Ephesians 5:25? "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." I believe it means to give without expecting anything in return. Jesus went and died for us knowing all the while He would be rejected.
So, what does that mean for us husbands? It means we lay down our lives for our wives. We lay down our "stuff". Newspaper, remote/clicker, ipad, ipod, iphone, laptop, internet, and dare I say it... Sports? (Yup, I dared) Offer your love, strength, and presence to her. It is one of the most difficult things to give up. It's not in our nature to "quit". We don't hear it from our old grizzled football coaches, bosses, or non-old grizzled football coaches. The media and our culture certainly tells us to not give an inch because everyone will take a mile from you.
You have to ask yourself the question, "How important is this to me?" Is my wife worth the time and effort it will take from me? I "need" to relax. I have been at work all day and she has been home playing with the kids. I guess I can invest some of myself and time before the game comes on. Maybe if I wash the dishes or wipe off the counter top she'll want to do a little something after the kids are down!
Seem familiar? If your relationship is this one sided, perhaps an overhaul is in order. You aren't thinking of your wife. I'm just as guilty of this thinking as anyone.
We shouldn't be about what we can get, but what we can give. God designed us as a perfect match with the woman. Two halves of God's personality, made in His image. Honestly, if we laid down our "stuff" for her, most of our wives would faint or wonder if our new medication has side effects.
Just for today, to start slow, try and be like Christ. Look outside your wants and at your wife. Then ask yourself a simple question, "How can I give my life for you today?" See what changes will happen in your heart and hers. Give your life for hers today without thinking what is in it for you.
