[Gregg Matte Wisdom of Solomon] Deep Roots in RelationshipSample

Serve Like Jesus

When you think about the idea of a servant, what comes to mind? For most people, it might be on first thought someone "less than." Some think about how the Bible tells us that Jesus came as a servant to lay His life down for us. Either way, the Bible calls us to serve those around us whom we love the most. If Christ served His bride, the church, how much more can we serve our spouse? Here in this passage, we see that Solomon didn’t just serve his wife in physical ways, but also verbally. We see the roots of their relationship deepened through how they served one another. It’s not just about doing stuff for one another, though that’s good. It’s saying stuff. Solomon wanted his wife to feel important and loved tremendously.

The way husbands do this is through compliments, offering praise in ways that only a husband who loves his wife for herself, not for what she can do for him, would do. Wives, too, can offer compliments. The hope is that praise and compliments become a habit. Would you be described as one who gives compliments, or are you known as the one who complains and nags? Are you more likely to praise your spouse or point out what they’re doing wrong? How amazing would it be if your marriage were filled with many moments of serving one another with words?

Notice that Solomon didn’t just describe the parts of his wife that everyone could see; he described and praised parts of her that only he would see. He starts with her feet. If you go back to the beginning of the book, she was not the girl who stayed inside, but worked the fields. This meant her feet did not excite her, but they excited him. He then works up to her thighs and likens them to jewelry, meaning they were the handiwork of a master. Then he goes to her navel and says it is full of wheat. He said she was a gift from God in the fall, spring, and year-round. Her presence was a blessing to him.

Solomon serves her by building her up with words. Jesus does the same with us. How often do we feel less than, or inadequate, and all we have to do is run to the Scriptures, and we can find encouragement? We can know that God sees all of us, even the parts we are ashamed of, and He still loves us and delights in us because of His Son. In the same way, we too can serve our spouse with words. Look for the areas where they feel inadequate and build your spouse up with praise.