Loving Your Husband As You Love Yourself
Matthew 22:37-39

Grief(s):
I wear a variety of "hats" depicting my interests outside our home. I feel quilty as my husband receives less of my time. How do I let him know he is the most important relationship in my busy life?

Response:
Easy! It’s like cooking corn on the cob. What happens when you remove a cooked ear of corn out of the boiling water? Looks good. Smells good. Your mouth waters just thinking about how good it will taste...butter melting through all the tiny crevices...so much that it drips onto the plate!

Like when Jesus brings you to salvation...He pours His promised Holy Spirit into all the tiny crevices of your life, filling you with warmth and vitality, causing you to 'ooze' Jesus onto people all around you. They will say to themselves, "Looks good. Smells good. I want some of that."

As wife of an unbelieving husband, wouldn’t you love for him to say that? You honor God by respecting your husband and placing him higher than any activity on your busy calendar.

Read Matthew 22:37-39

• Apply it personally.
  
• Profess to love the Lord with all your heart.
  
• Put aside your will.
  
• Put your husband’s need ahead of your activities.
  
• How many of the hats you wear are from a desire to please God, or a desire to please yourself?

God says to love Him with your entire mind. Feeding your mind with the Word of God enables you to form a sharp reality of biblical truth in any situation, seeing from God's perspective, through His eyes. God is not demanding mere obedience to a law, but to heartfelt love and commitment which is an act of the will, not of the emotions or feelings.

Affirm:

• The first and greatest commandment:
  "Love your neighbor as yourself."
• Jesus said this because He wants God’s love to flourish...
  in the believer
  in the family, between husband and wife.
• Who reaps the fruit of this love first?...
  your closest neighbor - your husband

"As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." (Luke 6:31)

Connect:

Carve 1Cor 13: 4-7 into your heart, soul, mind, and might.

• Do you want your husband to be patient with you when you dent the car?
  Then be patient with him when he makes a mistake in the checkbook.
• Do you want him to seek you out in a room full of fun people at a party?
  Then seek him out first, proving that he matters to you - more than anyone else in the room.
• He knows if your actions are from love or from duty. What has hindered you from showing him God’s love? Grudges? Negativity? Impatience?
• What do you want him to remember most about you? Your love for him by the ways you ministered to him? What are some of the things that you have done that have made your husband happy and content in your house?

The Apostle Paul says in verse13, "love will always remain."

Equip:

• Love your husband as yourself:
• See him through God's eyes
• "A wise woman builds her house." (Proverbs 14:1) The roles of men and women are different, so build in different ways, but build together
• Spend quality time with him; go where he is if necessary
• Your husband is not perfect – love him anyway
• Diligently pray for him (Proverbs 31:18) and listen for God’s leading,
• Show him that you can be trusted – with his past, the present, and his heart
• He needs to know you believe in him
• Respect him for the man he is.
• Verbally praise his talents
• Allow him to protect you against any harm.
• Honestly tell each other what is in your hearts. Be honest. Positive feelings will open up as you value each other.
• Anticipate and meet his needs. Like offering to get the new wire for his fishing pole and anything else he may need. Learn to enjoy investing in what makes him happy.

G.R.A.C.E. Gem:

John 13:34, 35 tells us ‘the indispensable mark of the Christian life is Christian love.’ The measure and test of love for God is whole-hearted obedience. He will teach you to creatively reach your husband’s heart with His love.

• The shining price of obedience to God...
• Remove some of those "hats" you wear
• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind! And...
• Love your husband as yourself

Loving Grace – Priceless!

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