Ephesians 5:28–33
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
Examine / Explain
Paul’s reference back to Genesis 2 is a great reminder of our relationships between husbands and wives as well as the church and Jesus. He also points out that our actions toward our spouses should be made with love. Do we mistreat our own bodies? Then why would we mistreat the extension of our flesh? In turn, she is to have a reverent fear for her husband. REVERENT fear. Not in fear of retribution for not meeting his expectations, but in full knowledge of his role and responsibilities. We are to complement one another.
How do I apply this to my life?
Even though I can’t dance, I love the example of the Trinity being in perfect community as a dance. The trinity moves and does everything in a single movement, and though there is a lead, it is not really a lead. They are one God that moves in perfect unison each aspect of the trinity already knows the next move. How am I dancing with my wife and God? Do we move in perfect unison through life? Or are we tripping over my feet? Am I misstepping and causing us to be offbeat? What rhythm am I listening to in my life? The cadence of culture? The movement of my own fallen flesh? My flesh is supposed to be one with my spouse. How am I treating my flesh? Am I letting it get infected? Or am I tending to the tenderness of wounds and hurts? Am I ripping off pieces of me because what I want to do is more important than being in unity with my “whole” body? Let me turn this to the spiritual aspect. How am I respecting God? We are the bride of Christ. Is my fear of the Lord reverent? Am I in service to the Lord because I respect Him or do I do what I do out of fear of retribution? How are my dance moves? Am I in step with my oneness to my spouse and my God? What getting my attention to become out of step? How do I lock eyes with my dance partner and not see what is going on around me? How can I lead without really leading? How do we complement one other to the point of moving in the exact same direction at the exact same time? Love and respect. Security and significance. I think women who feel secure in their marriages and husbands feel free in those relationships. Men who are respected and made to feel significant by their wives have a better chance at overcoming evil and protecting values. So I want to relate this back to the body of Christ. When I feel secure in my relationship with God I feel more free. We all want to find security and significance. There are degrees to each. Where do I find mine?
What is my response?
Father, I need to check my dance moves. Am I on beat with you and Angi? Are we dancing and moving on the same beat? If not, I need to make adjustments. I need to lock eyes with her, which as she is a representation of You in my life. I am essentially locking eyes with You through her. She is a reflection of my life in You as well as You, and presenting herself to me. What do I see? What needs to change? Am I in a place to listen? Where do I not feel free in You and why? Where am I not making my wife feel secure? Where am I not feeling significant? Am I finding my significance in You or somewhere else? I pray for a heart that gets in sync with you. I want to have a dance partly. Amen.
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