One of the difficult issues for many women is that love involves sacrifice. This is one of the things that we often miss. We think far too highly of our own "sacrifices" and far too little of the care offered by others. For example, a wife may think of her husband's jobs as something he does for himself and she will not value his work as a gift to her at all. He, on the other hand, knows that he must keep his job for her sake and will put up with many things he would otherwise never put up with.
We have an odd situation where everyone wants to judge everyone else's service. Wives are quick to tell you how their husbands fail, but very slow to admit how they fail. They will get angry with a husband's failure but will expect a husband to forgive their own failures.
Things should be the opposite. Wives ought to forgive their husbands readily and without complaint (just as they should forgive everyone readily and without complaint). When a husband forgets to complete a task, she should be forgiving and kind, not judgmental and cutting. This is the sacrifice that love makes.
How do I know this? Because Christ left me an example. He prayed even for men who were, at the moment, crucifying him. Yet we have Christian wives who will not forgive a husband for his failure to stop and get milk on his way home from work.
Love sacrifices all. "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
So, do you lay down your life for your husband? Do you accept who he is and that he is not who you would like him to be? Do you read "romantic novels" and watch "chick flicks" and wish that someone else were your husband? Do you compare him to others of whom you know very little and tell him how poorly he compares?
Or do you accept that he is your husband? Do you love and care for and support him?
If your husband fails (and all husbands fail), where does he turn for kindness and love?
We have an odd situation where everyone wants to judge everyone else's service. Wives are quick to tell you how their husbands fail, but very slow to admit how they fail. They will get angry with a husband's failure but will expect a husband to forgive their own failures.
Things should be the opposite. Wives ought to forgive their husbands readily and without complaint (just as they should forgive everyone readily and without complaint). When a husband forgets to complete a task, she should be forgiving and kind, not judgmental and cutting. This is the sacrifice that love makes.
How do I know this? Because Christ left me an example. He prayed even for men who were, at the moment, crucifying him. Yet we have Christian wives who will not forgive a husband for his failure to stop and get milk on his way home from work.
Love sacrifices all. "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
So, do you lay down your life for your husband? Do you accept who he is and that he is not who you would like him to be? Do you read "romantic novels" and watch "chick flicks" and wish that someone else were your husband? Do you compare him to others of whom you know very little and tell him how poorly he compares?
Or do you accept that he is your husband? Do you love and care for and support him?
If your husband fails (and all husbands fail), where does he turn for kindness and love?
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