25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. – Ephesians 5:25-30
This is one of the most beautiful commands ever given in scripture. Husbands, love your wives. I’m sure any wife who reads this, flaunts this at her husband when he’s acting like an ogre or a grump. And any husband who reads this must think to himself, “How can I do this more than I already do?” Holidays like valentine’s day really become stressful considering a command like this, especially if your relationship is struggling or going through a valley period where love feels like it has become stagnant.
The charge here should be a great encouragement no matter what season you’re experiencing. As much as this is giving instructions on how to be a loving husband, anyone can apply these principles to how they love others in general, because this is how Christ loved us. We see that love is much more than just giving someone a gift or dotting on them with heart eyes and cute words, though affirmation is big.
What we see is that love truly equals sacrifice for another, not just to show to that person that they are loved, but to help them restore their entire being. Jesus laid down His life and poured out His blood to cover our sins and restore us to a relationship with God the Father. And as we continue in a relationship with Him throughout our life, He brings healing to every part of our life. He loves us tenderly with grace and compassion and provides everything we need to restore the broken things in our lives.
We are called to do the same as Christ did for us. To lay down our lives for others. To show them there is someone who truly cares about them. To show them there is someone who wants to see all the broken things in their life restored. To show them that it is possible to love someone without desiring anything in return other than their physical and spiritual well-being.
Who in your life needs to be shown this kind of love? A family member? A friend? How about a stranger that you may never meet in your life again? Here at Caring for Miami, it’s our goal to love others the way Jesus has loved us. Would you join us?
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