| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net (OK ladies, here it is. You'll have to read this to your husbands, cause they won't for themselves.) Dear husband. When Adam and Eve sinned, (Time out; Let's address something here that many men like to joke about. "Everything was fine in the Garden of Eden until Eve ate Adam out of house and home"-- yuk yuk yuk. Here's the rub - God made Adam responsible. Lots of responsibility being the head of the household, isn't there?) When Adam and Eve sinned, God placed a curse on Everything. The ground, the woman, the serpent, the man; everything fell under a curse. Part of mans' curse is a Superiority Complex. This is manifest by our having selfish urges to use our wives for our own purposes. Many problems in the homes are the result of the "feminization" of the male. Think about the hero's of our culture today - anemic vampire types who couldn't punch their way out of a wet paper bag. Our young men strive to emulate them cause --- they get the girl. We have also dropped the ball so far in Not doing what we are supposed to do in the home - ie parenting actively, participating in the bill paying and the associated worrying, being concerned with more than our next toy, and Most important, being the Spiritual Leader in our home. The result is, our wives have taken up the slack. Then when they do, they are criticized for being control freaks. We call the wives names, and ourselves "henpecked" for making them do what we should but don't. What's the answer? Love. Men hate that word. It makes us uncomfortable. We like cool words like vengeance and pay-back. In the past you have heard me say the biggest word in the Bible is "as", as in Eph. 5:25. We men (you and me) are to love our wives "as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it". "As" = in the same way, and to the same degree God loves His Church. He died for (instead of) it and is coming back for it. How do we show this love? "God commended (displayed) his love for us in that while we were yet (still) sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 It is an Unbreakable love. We are (in God's eyes), "one flesh" that no man should "tear asunder". You are to love her as your own body. Question: What do you do when something wrong with your body? You spare no expense to fix it. It is also an Understanding love - 1st Peter 3:7. We are to treat them with understanding and honor. "WELL PREACHER, I'LL START DOING THAT WHEN SHE STARTS DESERVING IT." Did you ever deserve the love of Christ? Did you ever on your best day deserve His forgiveness or providence or guidance? This is for you Christian men, cause if you are not, this is going to mean absolutely nothing. The verse reads: "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered". In the Elk City vernacular, this says this. I can go to Church three times a week, go on mission trips, help neighbors and the elderly, teach Sunday School, sing in the choir, visit folks in the hospitals or prison, piously pray when asked - But --- If I am not treating my wife with respect, God is saying: "Talk to the hand", and I am the greatest of all hypocrites. There's a lot riding on how I love my wife. Spiritual Switch: There was a man who had grown to hate his wife, and sought not just a divorce, but he wanted to hurt her as much as possible. His counselor advised him to treat her like a queen for a month. "Buy her flowers, leave love notes, tell her you appreciate her, give her breakfast in bed and even do some chores around the house. At the end of the month, tell her you are leaving and watch her suffer". A few months went by when the "Life Coach" ran into the man. "How did it go? How did she react when you left her? Was she devastated?" "Leave her?" the man replied: "Are you nuts? My life has never been better. She is the most magnificent woman I have ever imagined." You see, your wife is wired to respond to your love. It's on you guys. Happy Valentine's Day |
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