Cherished Women

CBN.com - Ephesians 5:25-33CloseEphesians 5:25-33 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. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one."* This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)

At a time when many cultures regarded wives as property to be dealt with according to their husbands' wishes, Christianity elevated the role of wives to unheard-of-heights. The passage in Ephesians 5 doesn't seem revolutionary to us, but it must have sounded radical to the women who first heard Paul's letter when it was read to early groups of believers. To show his love for his "bride," Jesus Christ had willingly given up his life for everyone who would follow him. Now, Paul's writings commanded husbands to love their wives with that same sacrificial heart.

Some of the original recipients of Paul's letters had probably endured harsh treatment. Perhaps some of them lived with indifferent or uncaring spouses. Even if they had learned to accept their situations, God's words must have made them feel valued in a way they had never known before. Whether or not the men obeyed the instructions, the women had the assurance that God intended for their husbands to love and care for them as much as for their own bodies. God desired for wives to experience the kind of love that always acted in their best interest.

What woman wouldn't want a man with deep, unselfish love that would lead him to lay down his life for her if necessary? Many wives today feel that they are in loveless marriages. Some experience a distorted version of the relationship that God intended, which makes them feel used. Regardless of the nature of our marriages or our marital status, we have experienced the love described in Ephesians 5. Jesus gave up his life for us before we even knew him. He suffered and paid the price for our sin so that we can have a worthwhile life on earth, and then live with God forever. Once we accept what Jesus offers, we are cherished women indeed.

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This Devotion is taken from The One Year Women of the Bible Devotion.

(Tyndale House Publishers)
 © 2007 Dianne Neal Matthews

Dianne Neal Matthews has written Devotions, magazine articles, and newspaper features. She is the author of The One Year on This Day (Tyndale House) and is a contributing author to Classic Christmas: True Stories of Holiday Cheer and Goodwill (Adams Media). Dianne is a CLASS graduate and a member of Toastmasters. She and her husband, Richard, live in central Illinois and have three grown children and a granddaughter.

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Dianne's Website: www.DianneNealMatthews.com