A Quick Note

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful weekend.
Of course I'm rarely able to post on Mondays since I don't have "high speed" at home (and I don't dare try to labor through dial-up). I guess I will have to wait until Obama is president since he has assured me that broadband will go global under his energy plan.

Anyway...I'm going to be out of office for the better part of this week. So today's focus on the blog is to share some thoughts about a very important person in my life.

Jennifer and I are preparing to celebrate 13 years of marriage next month. Married life in all has been wonderful. We both agree that the difficulties could never outweigh the benefits. As I get older - and we remained married longer - I can see how blessed I am. I told a group in our church last night that I used to think of Jenn as a compliment to my ministry. Today, I can honestly say that she does so much more than compliment...in fact, she completes the ministry that God has given us.

I can honestly say that my wife is my favorite person in the world and my best friend. As much as I enjoy spending time with "the boys" I enjoy my time with her so much more. Proverbs tells us to "rejoice in the wife of your youth..." How often do you hear men say that they enjoy their wives?

I am a blessed man with a wonderful wife who is a good mother, a loving person, and an enduring friend. Sure - we have problems like a lot of couples. There have been dark times in our 13 year history. However, every day that we are together we learn more and more of what it means to be one in Christ.

Let me say to the husbands out there - LOVE your wife. That is the most basic command that God could ever give to us. It's a command because we struggle with it. Maybe we don't consider it manly enough. We would much rather read "provide for", "instruct", or some other command that required our strength. But God's Word is clear on this: "love your wife as Christ loved the church..." Only under the supernatural power of God can we ever hope to be willing to lay down our lives for our wife.

To the wives: RESPECT your husband. One of the greatest needs your husband has is for you to respect him. It is a part of his love language. Most husbands don't doubt the love of their wife but many do doubt if their spouse respects them. Once again I will say that the reason God gives this command to the wife is because it's the area of their greatest struggle. Therefore, only under God's power can a woman give respect to her man.

What we have seen in our society over the years is a reversal of these commands. It's easy for a husband to respect his wife for all she does - care for the kids, care for the home, working a job. On the other hand it's easy for a wife to love her husband - she's more emotional that way. But God's command goes directly to the love language of each individual.

This is something that each of us need to be reminded of every day. If we are married there is no greater ministry that the ministry we have together. If someone is planning to get married they must consider the weight of these words. We can only have a fruitful marriage by choosing to sow the right kind of seed.

May each of you have a blessed week and may you learn to enjoy your spouse.