‘So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.’ Ephesians 5:33(NLT)
I don’t think any of us would argue with the fact that we love ourselves. We plan what makes us happy. We buy our favorite foods. We head for the most comfortable chair and turn the television stations to our favorite shows. Loving ourselves is easy. We say that we love our spouses and other people, but if we don’t watch it, that all-about-me mindset will creep in and take over.
What if we put as much effort into loving our spouses? True love gives up the comfortable chair—and the (gasp!) remote. True love picks the restaurant our spouse loves even though we don’t really like the food there. True love says, “You are the most important thing in the world to me—even more important than me.” And something special happens as a result of that. The love that’s given away returns to us in a bigger portion, and it’s wrapped in respect from a spouse who feels loved and valued.
How does it make you feel when you do something special for your spouse? How long has it been since you’ve done that?
Lord, help me to put my spouse’s interests before my own. I acknowledge that life isn’t all about me, and I want my spouse to see that reflected in my words and actions.
from A Little God Time For Couples