Redefining Love预览

Love Is Leading

Devotional Content:

There are a lot of things that I can do as a husband that are good for my marriage. Nancy appreciates it when I help her around the house. She likes it when I surprise her with something special. There is nothing that makes her feel more loved than our quality time together. All these things I can do are great and enrich our marriage, but God has given me one role that is essential: to be a leader.

Being a leader is not always easy, and being a leader God’s way can really be tough. Some of us hear the word leader and think of someone in authority who has power over others. That is true in the world, and it works pretty well in a lot of situations. But I do not think that kind of leading is what God had in mind when He told husbands to lead (see Ephesians 5:23). There are two distinct yet inseparable ways in which a husband should lead his wife: as a warrior and as a servant.

If you look up the word warrior, you might get a definition such as “a brave soldier” or “someone with incredible courage.” As warriors, husbands bring a sense of safety and security to their wives. Wives want to know that their husbands will protect them, look over them, and keep them from harm. They want to know that their husbands would never knowingly hurt them. A husband warrior has the courage to lead his wife and to do it in a way that honors God.

God gave us the perfect example of leadership in Jesus. Jesus showed husbands the way to lead their wives and families by serving them, not dominating them. For me, following Jesus’ example means putting Nancy first by knowing her needs and then, with God’s help, working toward meeting those needs. It involves listening to her, talking with her, and working together with her. That is being a servant leader.

Husbands, this is for you. What does it mean for you to lead your wife as a warrior and as a servant? In what specific ways can you lead her today? Here are some ideas:

• Set a level playing field. If you have ever hurt your wife in any way, tell her you are sorry and that from today on you will never knowingly hurt her.
• Ask her what you can do to help her feel pro- tected and cared for.
• Ask her about her fears and then together lay those at the feet of God in prayer.
• Pray and ask God to daily show you how to be a courageous and selfless leader in your marriage.

Today’s Challenge:

Husband’s take that first step in being the leader God designed you to be. Wife’s encourage your husband as he takes this step!

Going Deeperp:

What does it mean to you to be a warrior or to have your spouse be a warrior in your marriage?

Resource:

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