As the years go by, we as husbands may think that we know how to love and treat our wives, but we actually do not. We need to keep adapting to the changing scenarios in order to keep loving our wives. Marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with the Church; and His love for the Church is not a tolerating kind of love, or a no-choice kind of love. Hence, we want a marriage that grows in love year after year. The question is: How can husbands do that?

A truly born-again husband with a sound mind will never abuse his own body. Therefore, he will also not abuse his wife’s body. This analogy focuses on the spiritual body more than the physical. The husband desires to present his body before God one day, holy and without blemish and he will want to present his wife likewise. As he takes tangible steps to care for his physical body, so he ought to take tangible steps to care for his wife as well.

The husband loves his body and feeds it well, nourishing and cherishing it. But how is he feeding his spiritual body? How he does it for himself must also be how he does it for his wife and children. He must do his quiet time, study the Bible, lead his family in a godly manner, teach his children how to pray and how to obey God, among other things. The husband loves by spiritually feeding his family.

It is only through Christ that this oneness in membership can be achieved. The Christian husband and wife have the same membership in Christ. They will spend eternity together in heaven. Hence, why do they want to get themselves into quarrels and upset each other? The husband must bear the responsibility of taking the initiative all the time to resolve and reconcile any issues troubling the family. He must cast his pride aside and always make the first move. This is because he sees Christ in his wife. The more he loves Christ, the more he can love his wife as intended by God.

May every husband and his wife grow in grace and knowledge in Christ together.