Toy Stories: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head — Real Roles vs. Interchangeable Parts - Wednesday
Today’s Verse
Ephesians 5:28-30
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. (NLT)
What we eat has a major effect on our bodies. Feeding and caring for our bodies, as Scott pointed out Sunday, is another way to say that we provide and protect. As any human being would logically do this for their own body, so the husband is commanded to do this for his bride. Paul reminds us here to prioritize the protection and provision—to care well—for the “one flesh” which the husband and wife have become through the covenant commitment of marriage.
If what we eat affects us in such obvious ways, the way we think also has a significant impact on how we live our daily lives. It has been said that our attention aims our affection. Our heart reveals exactly what we regard as most valuable in life; the way we think is the way we are. When we align our thinking to truly consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2) and when husbands truly honor and love and lift up their brides (Ephesians 5), we discover that our desire to “feed and care” expresses itself in many tangible ways.
Love is multifaceted; there are so many angles from which to observe, and lenses through which we can look. And each reveals numerous ways we can show and receive love. Romance is not routine. Investing in this corner of your relationship is part of the caring and feeding, protecting and providing. And it is expressed through both action and communication. When we use both tangible expressions and words, love is expressed and reinforced.
When you pray for your marriage, ask God for fresh words to say and new discoveries to be revealed about one another. Ask questions when you’re together. Goof off with no agenda for the day. Talk about your interests. Continue to learn about one another. Share your fears. Discover one another’s dreams. Then, together, we can look forward to our beautiful visions coming to fruition. In order to get there, we need to be faithful to take steps to grow and guard the love relationship. To actively deepen it. We are wise to do some good work—even hard work—early in the game to divorce-proof our marriages by discovering creative ways to honor each other and lift each other up.
APPLICATION
Marriage gets better and better as the years go by if you keep striving to date one another. So keep the dialogue going. But be sure to keep the pressure off; some of the most profound expressions of love are spontaneous. Send love notes and silly gifs via text. Shop actively for experiences or getaways, even if finances won’t let them happen right now. Because, then again, staycations can be just as good or better than vacations. Are you married with kids? Take time off on days the kids are busy to just be together with your spouse during the day, to rediscover how much you enjoy being around the love of your life!
PRAYER
God, forgive me for not prioritizing what matters most in my relationships. Instill the discernment and discipline in me to say “no” in the short-term so that I’m able to say “yes” to what’s better or best in the long-term.
