Love and Respect
Last weekend Brian and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. It has been a difficult year in some ways for our marriage, so we thought it would be good to really focus on our marriage during our anniversary and how we can grow even more. Can you believe it? There was a Love and Respect Conference near Chicago on the exact weekend of our anniversary. So, last weekend, we went. Amazing!
Love and Respect is based on Ephesians 5:33 that says "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." How have we missed this verse in scripture. How many of us have heard the first part about husbands loving their wives, but the second part has been lost. It's not about the husband lording over the wife, but a mutual love and respect. Women long to be loved and men long to be respected....and go figure...that's how GOD created it to be.
Most would say that we should love unconditionally. I probably wouldn't get too much discussion over that, but what about respecting unconditionally? OUCH! We would most likely say that people only get respect when they deserve it, but that is not what scripture says. It says and "the wife must respect..." Without giving the whole 2 day conference, it is hard to explain, but I will be using this material for my marriage counseling. It has transformed Brian and I and it just makes sense....and it's scriptural.
I bought the videos so we can go through it again...maybe in a small group setting, or hold a video conference of our own. Marriage is hard work. The key is...to keep working on it. Brian and I have committed our lives to each other for eternity. We long to be the best of friends and lovers and continue to work hard at it. This last year, we let other things get in the way and our marriage paid for it. So, in 2008 we have worked harder than we ever have and keep pressing on. Satan loves to get an edge in, and the minute we quit making our families priority is his opportunity to slide in. I declare war! Not in my marriage! Not in my family!
Lord, I come to You, let my heart be changed, renewed...flowing from the grace that I've found in You. Lord, I've come to know the weaknesses I see in me, will be stripped away by the power of your love.
Hold me close. Let Your love surround me. Bring me near. Draw me to Your side. And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle. And I will soar with You. Your Spirit leads me on in the power of Your love.
Lord, unveil my eyes, let me see You face to face, the knowledge of Your love as You live in me. Lord renew my mind, as Your will unfolds in my life, in living every day by the power of Your love.
Hold me close. Let Your love surround me. Bring me near. Draw me to Your side. And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle. And I will soar with You. Your Spirit leads me on in the power of Your love.
Love and Respect is based on Ephesians 5:33 that says "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." How have we missed this verse in scripture. How many of us have heard the first part about husbands loving their wives, but the second part has been lost. It's not about the husband lording over the wife, but a mutual love and respect. Women long to be loved and men long to be respected....and go figure...that's how GOD created it to be.
Most would say that we should love unconditionally. I probably wouldn't get too much discussion over that, but what about respecting unconditionally? OUCH! We would most likely say that people only get respect when they deserve it, but that is not what scripture says. It says and "the wife must respect..." Without giving the whole 2 day conference, it is hard to explain, but I will be using this material for my marriage counseling. It has transformed Brian and I and it just makes sense....and it's scriptural.
I bought the videos so we can go through it again...maybe in a small group setting, or hold a video conference of our own. Marriage is hard work. The key is...to keep working on it. Brian and I have committed our lives to each other for eternity. We long to be the best of friends and lovers and continue to work hard at it. This last year, we let other things get in the way and our marriage paid for it. So, in 2008 we have worked harder than we ever have and keep pressing on. Satan loves to get an edge in, and the minute we quit making our families priority is his opportunity to slide in. I declare war! Not in my marriage! Not in my family!
Lord, I come to You, let my heart be changed, renewed...flowing from the grace that I've found in You. Lord, I've come to know the weaknesses I see in me, will be stripped away by the power of your love.
Hold me close. Let Your love surround me. Bring me near. Draw me to Your side. And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle. And I will soar with You. Your Spirit leads me on in the power of Your love.
Lord, unveil my eyes, let me see You face to face, the knowledge of Your love as You live in me. Lord renew my mind, as Your will unfolds in my life, in living every day by the power of Your love.
Hold me close. Let Your love surround me. Bring me near. Draw me to Your side. And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle. And I will soar with You. Your Spirit leads me on in the power of Your love.
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