A Call of Duty.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church-a love marked by giving, not getting.

Ephesians 5:25-26 MSG

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.

Ephesians 5:25-29 NLT

Sounds easy enough, right? Just love your wife!

On the face of it, it should be a given, a no-brainer. We shouldn't even have to work at it. But there is a reason that this command is one of few that specifically addresses how husbands are to interact with their wives. If it were easy God would not have been compelled to put it in the bible for men to read. If it were easy everybody would be doing it. The unfortunate truth is that the lack of men actually loving there wives is what is breaking the back of society today.

Breaking the heart of God.

What does it mean to put loving our wives into practice?

How did Christ love the church?

Logically and practically speaking, Jesus Christ literally died for her.

He gave up his life for her, to make her holy and clean.

We are fortunate enough to be able to use His sacrifice as an example rather than a literal command. We are called to deny ourselves so that she can be made right. Regardless of what is deserved, regardless of what she has said to you today, regardless of what she has not done for you lately, regardless of how you feel about denying yourself.

What is love?

Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited,

does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

1Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is not a checked box on your list of rewards.

Love is not something to be held hostage.

Love is not a tool.

Love is a fruit of the Spirit!

The Spirit being the Holy Spirit of God and the fruit being the reward there of.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.

Galatians5:22-23

It is not a sin to struggle with this but to not seek God's help is the beginning of decay.

The truth is I am no expert on loving my wife day to day.

The unfortunate truth is it is a major struggle for me.

Fortunately God has superseded my ineptness for the greater good of my marriage.

I have prayed relentlessly that God help me with this.

God has, over time, transformed my heart and attitude toward my wife.

I no longer see a villain or adversary walking into the room but the woman God has chosen for me to spend my life with.

Raise my children with.

The woman I love with all my heart.

The way Jesus has shown me love.

I have proven time and time again to myself, my wife and my God that I am incapable of doing this marriage thing without Him.

Him being Jesus.