God’s Blueprint for Your Home a 6-Day Devotion by Sue Afutuনমুনা

A Husband’s Love

The traditional wedding vows exchanged by the bride and groom include words like, “Cherish and forsaking all others.” These contain undertones of love. Our verse for meditation today reminds husbands to love their wives. The passage does not define love, however, we find the concept expanded upon in 1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 8, where we are reminded that love is patient, kind, not boastful or envious nor does it keep a record of wrongs. Now, that is a tall bill!

It is curious that wives are asked to submit while the husbands are required to love. There is a replica of this in Ephesians 5: 25 -31, where men are entreated to emulate the love Christ has for the church. It is not as though men do not need love from their wives, but this speaks to the primary needs of each sex and how we expect affection to be expressed to us.

Husbands are also to desist from being bitter with their wives. The word bitter here also means harsh, which is what we find in other versions. We can be harsh in our speech or reactions. Just as it takes grace for a woman to submit to her husband, it equally requires strength for a man to be tender with his wife at all times. This demands self-control, along with all the other virtues mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13.

It is easy for our male counterparts to think too much of themselves because their wives have been asked to play second place. 1 Peter 3:7 reminds men to live with their wives with understanding, remembering that women are the weaker vessels and also partakers of God’s gift of eternal life just as they are. God even cautions them that failing to do this will prevent their prayers from being answered.

Reflection:

1. In what ways can you show your wife love?

2. How can you keep yourself from being harsh with your wife? ‬‬‬‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Prayer:

Help me Lord to love my wife and not to be harsh towards her in Jesus name. Amen.