A few keys to Repect
Having a respect filled relationship is one of the biggest challenges I see that faces couples today. My wife and I are blessed to mentor under some amazing people who have taught us what it truly means to respect one another. I want to take a few minutes to pass along some of those teachings to you today. Some of this may not be easy to swallow guys, but I hope you take my words to heart.
Put her in her place!
Yep, I said it. Your mate has to know where she stands in your relationship. Do you know where that place is? Let’s look back to where it all started, the book of Genesis” “Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Woman was created from the rib of man. Your mate’s rightful place is at your side! God did not create her from your heel, so she is not to be walked on. He did not take her from your spine, so she should not walk behind you. Woman was created to walk along side of and to be as one with man. ”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24. Your wife is not your property, she is not less than you, she is your helpmate in life and she is your sister in Christ. Together you walk through life as one flesh before God. If you want your bride to respect you, take her out of the shadows and give her the rightful place she has at your side!
It’s all about submission!
This is one of the most misquoted passages from the bible and it is absolutely infuriating when I hear it taken out of context. In Ephesians 5 it says “ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”. Sadly, that’s where many men choose to stop reading! Guys, listen to me, STOP IT! If you want your mate to submit you as she does the Lord, you have to do your part! Here’s the rest of the passage:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
I want you to take a second and review that passage again. I’m not going to lie, that’s a HUGE undertaking that God has put on us! You know why? Because it means you have to STEP UP! Do you really want your mate to to be respectful and submit to your authority as the spiritual leader of the home? Then give her something worth respecting! You have to love her as Christ loved the church. Give yourself to her wholeheartedly and see her through Christ’s eyes. Your job is to provide for her, to protect her, to pursue her daily. Your job is to make sure she knows that there is nothing of this earth that you wouldn’t do to keep her safe. Most importantly, you have to keep no record of wrong. If she makes a mistake, forgive her and let it go. You make mistakes every day, and God forgives you each time you ask. Forgive your wife, and present her to yourself as Christ did the church….without stain, or wrinkle, or blemish, but holy and blameless.
Set the Example!
Now that I have preached a bit, I want to clarify something. Do I think that as men, our wives deserve to be put on a pedestal above all others on this earth? To a point, yes. Does that mean you have to worship the ground she walks on, absolutely not, the mere thought is foolish! The first commandment clearly states, “You shall have no other gods before me.” -Exodus 20:3 Our job as men is to worship God and seek him in all we do. That is priority number one! One of my wife and I’s favorite quotes, one that we have taught our daughters, and I hear my wife teach to other women is “Seek God so hard, that a man must go through Him to find you!” Guys, this is message is the same for us! Seek God first and with such a fever that your mate has no choice but to find you through Him! Show your mate that nothing else matters more that being a Godly man. Show your children that there is nothing more important than being a faithful servant to God. Prove to yourself that you are the man God called you to be.
I’m going to finish up this message with a caution to all you men. When you are in a relationship, you are not only responsible for yourself. You are responsible for the salvation, the protection, and the legacy of everyone in your home. It’s your duty as man to set the best example possible. It is your duty to teach your children how a God’s man should act. Don’t act in any way towards your mate, a woman that is God’s daughter, that you wouldn’t accept another man doing to your own daughter. Remember the old teaching, “It’s not what is taught, it’s what is caught” when you are in your home. Let your family catch you being the REAL MAN that God has called you to be. Until next time, Be Blessed!
~ Scott
