Husband loves your wife (Ephesians 5) 050507
I have not been writing my devotion lately. It was not because I have not been spending time with God, it was because I was really too busy lately and getting myself very tired, both physically and emotionally.
I just want to apologize to me cell group members that I have been canceling cell group meeting for past two weeks. For many of you might already know that my wife is pregnant for about 8 weeks. For the past two weeks, it was really a test of my faith and and confident in God.
Last week, my wife experienced some spottings. It was not a good sign for any pregnant lady to have spottings, especially for my wife with a particular medical condition and couple with her negative blood type. I was dead worried, and to a certain extend, I felt that I was being paranoid. I called upon my cell group members and close friends to pray and intercede for my wife and the baby. As I reflect, I seemed to have over-reacted because of a miscarriage we had few years back after some spottings. But I was grateful and thankful for all the support that my church friends, family members, Bible College community and my cell groups members, they were really helpful and ministering to me when I was in those moments of distress.
I am really stressed! My wife is pregnant, I am going to have two exams next week and three papers to turn in next two weeks time, and I am also busy with church ministries and college closing activities such as graduation ceremony. I am really very stressed out. And sometimes, I just don’t know what to do. Therefore,I prayed. I pray that God will give me faith and strength. I pray that God will give me peace and rest. I pray that God will be God and be in control of everything.
Today as I read this chapter from the letter to Ephesians, there are many lessons I can draw from. But I think verse 22 onward really caught my attention. This is a very familiar passage, especially during weddings. Instruction to the wife to be subject to the husband only takes up 3 verses (22-24), but the instruction for the husband to love the wife is doubled, 6 verses (v25-30). I can now really appreciate it when I have to tend to my wife needs during this period of her pregnancy. I literally have to nourish her (v29) with Milo in the middle of the night, and soak her and the baby in prayers day and night.
It is tough and tiring. I am not going to pretend that I have no grumbling, but I know this is what the Word of God teaches us. I want to a loving husband, not because I am a cell group leader and have to set an example, but I just want to do what God instruct me to do in His Word.
The Word of God gives us many precious guidance to have a healthy and meaningful relationship with one another. May it be husband and wife, parents and children, siblings, friends, colleagues, schoolmates, employers and employees, teachers and students, and many others; the Bible do give many helpful guides in relationship. The question is: Are we willing to follow these instructions? Most of them need us to be humble and put other first. Are you willing?
