‘Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.’ Ephesians 3:17-21(NLT)
‘And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:19(NLT)
‘We love each other because he loved us first.’ 1 John 4:19(NLT)
‘Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.’ Colossians 3:12-15(NLT)
By Tara Davis
There have been years of emptiness in my life. Years in which I desperately searched for the approval of others, just needing to know I was good enough. What a strange thing it is, looking to other broken people to fill the cracks in our own life. Who is whole enough to fill us in the way we need and good enough to love us in the way we desire?
Inside each of us is an empty vessel we long to have filled with worth. We seek to receive this value from many places. In search of our identity, we turn to relationships, accomplishments, or belief in ourselves. Often as wives, however, we hand this empty vessel to our husbands and ask them to fill it with our worth.
At this point, we become only as good as our husband’s performance. When he has a bad day, we are shaken. When he struggles, our value plummets. When he fails to see us through the eyes of Christ, our identity is destroyed. But what if I told you this was never God’s plan for you? If you have placed the vessel of your worth anywhere but securely with your loving Savior, you have placed it in the wrong hands. When you attempt to gain your worth from your husband, you become selfish, always needing something from him, preoccupied with your longings, and how he isn’t fulfilling them adequately. You are not able to love like Jesus or walk in the glorious freedom His love offers!
When at last, I was able to see myself through the eyes of my Savior, I could hear His truth about who I am as His child, and I was able to allow Him to meet my needs according to His glorious riches. Instead of allowing another imperfect human to determine my worth, I rested in the unconditional, unending love of my Creator, a love beyond anything imaginable.
Sister, when you finally surrender your empty vessel to Christ and allow Him to fill you in a way only He can, you gain the freedom to love your husband the way the Lord intended. Only then can you shine the light of Jesus to him in every circumstance and be the friend, lover, and helper the Lord has made you to be. You will be able to love your husband right where he is, struggles and all, and pray for him in a powerful way! Pray Ephesians 3:14-19 over your husband. That is a love that will change everything!
from The Help Club for Moms