Love and Respect

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  Ephesians 5:21

Almost 29 years ago, before God, our family and friends Brian and I made a covenant with each other to love, cherish and honour one another “till death do us part”. In a beautiful Christmastime wedding we were joined together as one.

The wedding was one day. Marriage is the rest of our lives! It is hard to believe that we have spent more of our lives together than apart.  

And after all these years together we can tell you that marriage is sometimes hard work, and it is also the most rewarding, fulfilling adventure of our lives.

This Sunday an amazing, Godly couple in our congregation will be celebrating 57 years of marriage.  57 years!!  From my vantage point they are a shining example of the “love and respect” we talked about on Sunday.  

If you missed Sunday check it out.

Research done in the area of marriage reveals that love best motivates a woman and respect most powerfully motivates a man.  Sure we all need love and respect equally, but in his book Love and Respect, Eggerichs says “the felt need differs during conflict, and this difference is as different as pink is from blue!”  

Love and respect are two words that surface in social research and the Bible (Ephesians 5:33), and as Eggerichs states, “are the two key ingredients for a successful marriage”.

Unfortunately our nature as humans is often to criticize or complain about our spouse’s shortcomings. Yet there is something attractive—even compelling—about approaching each other as husband or wife with deep love and respect. 

How would things change in your marriage if you approached each other this way? Just try it—even when you do not feel it. Particularly if you don’t feel like it. 

My prayer for you is a home that is more loving, positive, and enjoyable than you ever thought possible!

Join us this Sunday as we continue to work through the book of Ephesians looking at God's design for the family.  See you there!