Don't See the Flaws

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Southeast Christian ChurchSoutheast Christian Church

Aug 11, 2022

Gary Thomas, in his book Sacred Marriage, says the primary goal of a Christian marriage is not our happiness, but our holiness, where God uses heavenly sandpaper to polish out our rough edges. God will use our marriages to challenge and grow us in ways that we didn’t anticipate or possibly even desire, with the goal of drawing husband and wife closer to one another and closer to their Heavenly Father.

Paul continues talking to husbands at the end Ephesians 5 when he says another expression of a husband’s love for his wife is to be perceptive of her needs and nurture those needs. Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church; be perceptive to their needs and nurture those. Wives need to know that she is loved and valued above everyone and everything else in her husband’s life. She needs to know and be confident that she's more important to her husband than sports, or his job, or his friends.

One of the best ways husbands can express affection is complimenting his wife, especially in front of their children. Your kids need to hear their father say, “Your mom is really smart.” “Do you notice how hard your mother works?” “Your mom's really pretty, isn't she?” That'll leave an ineradicable impression on them. Wives also need conversation. She wants you to talk with her. She wants to know what's going on inside. Lastly, she needs trust. She needs to trust her husband completely. A godly husband is perceptive to which of these needs is being expressed at that particular moment and responds to them.

Discussion/Reflection Question: In what ways did Jesus acknowledge and respond to the needs of the "Church" during his time on earth?

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