God pummeled me last night with a simple phrase, “Your wife doesn’t owe you anything.”
God 1. Jerod 0.
Our small group has been talking about marriage on Sunday nights and we came across one of the greatest verses to husbands ever written:
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Dang. This one always is a slugger, but has always equated to me as, “be willing to die for your wife.” And though that is also part of its truth, it’s saying much more than that.
Christ owed the church NOTHING. The people Jesus died for deserved NOTHING. Christ gave all of himself freely with no expectation of return. No tit for tat. No, “I do this for you if you’ll do this for me.”
My wife owes me nothing. You owe me nothing. The world owes me nothing.
We’re steeped in a tit for tat culture (especially when it comes to retribution for those outside our political party or whatever other tribe we’ve identified with). But the message of Jesus is unconditional love.
We view life and love in more transactional terms…whether its our marriages, friendships or alliances. I make a deposit of some sort, and eventually, I expect a return on that deposit. And when you’re making a business investment, it’s wise thinking. But when it comes to loving others, transactional love is a joyless journey.
Christlike love is giving it all, with no expectation of return. That’s the transformational part about it - it’s the part that makes no sense, but is the place where the Spirit of God works wonders.
Enjoy your Martin Luther King Day and ponder the legacy you'll leave.
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