I am to love my husband the way that Jesus Christ, who died for me, has loved me. I am to lay down my life for my husband. I am to spend time meditating on the ways the Lord loves me, and then I am to follow in His footsteps. Ephesians 1:3-14 gives us a picture of Christ's love.
1) He blessed me with every spiritual blessing.
2) He chose me before the world was even founded.
3) He called me to holiness and blamelessness.
4) He predestined me to be adopted as His child.
5) The intention of His will was kind.
6) He freely bestowed grace on me through our Beloved.
7) He redeemed me by the shedding of His blood.
8) He forgave my trespasses.
9) He revealed His will and kind intentions to me.
10) He gave me an inheritance in Him.
Elyse Fitzpatrick encourages us by saying this:
What can I say about God's incredible love? This is true love--a love that persistently seeks to do good to the one who is loved. Do I love in the way that He does? Of course not. I can't love exactly like the Lord does because I don't elect people to salvation or redeem them with my shed blood. But I can seek to bless my brother-husband; to stand steadfastly by him in a committed relationship throughout our lives; to encourage him to live a godly life and satisfy God's calling; to accept him with grace and personal sacrifice; to be forgiving and open about my struggles; and to assist him in leaving an inheritance for the kingdom that will live on after us.
