Blog #3

August 18.2008

It is easy to think of something to write about today. My wife and I have been married for 18 years. These years have not been long years....which means we still like each other a lot. These years have been filled with transition and sorrow and joy and four wonderful daughters. It is great being married to someone you actually like. Sandra is an amazing woman. I am very proud to be married to her.

As we embark on this new church planting effort with our friends in Salmon Arm and Sicamous there are some thoughts on God and marriage and church planting that go hand in hand.

Ephesians 5:1 tells us this: 1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. And then in keeping with the beginning of this chapter it tells us: 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church

Paul is telling me today as a husband that I am to be the one in the family who leads in love. That I am to be the one who will give up my life for my bride to help her be the most like Jesus she can be. That means sacrifice. That means giving up my desires for her's at times. It means seeking her best interest. It means building her up. It means being her friend. It means listening to her and encouraging her with my words, touch and action. One teacher told me that it means bathing her in the Word of God...encouraging her with the Truth of the Bible...the teacher also told me that it does not mean basting her with the Word. Big difference.

And all this totally applies to the Church. As Christ loved the church I am to love my wife and as Christ loved the church I am to love the Church for she is Christ's bride.

That I am to be the one who will give up my life for Christ's bride - to help her be the most like Jesus she can be.

That means sacrifice.
That means giving up my desires for her's at times.
It means seeking her best interest.
It means building her up.
It means being her friend.
It means listening to her and encouraging her with my words, touch and action.

And this not only applies to me but to everyone in the church - pastor or not. We are dealing with the bride of Christ. That means we are dealing with the most precious thing on earth to the Lord Jesus Christ. That means we all need to be step up our commitment a notch.

On this 18th Wedding Anniversary I re-affirm in my mind my pledge of loyalty to Sandra and I reinforce my love for her. That is also what I do for the church...and what we all should do.

'Nuff Said.