He designed live to Cherish

“Husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies”. (Ephesians 5:28)

Consider these two scenarios.

My 10 year old jetta car had serious mechanical trouble last year, so I took it to a mechanic. After diagnosis was made, I was told it will need a complete overhaul, which would take a toll on my limited budget.

Because of the expensive repairs, I decided to get rid of the car and spend my funds on a new vehicle. I haven’t bought the new vehicle yet.

At 17, i was football caotaon for FGC Warri team and i broke my right ankle in a tackle. I was rushed where X ray found some broken bones.  Although frustrated and in pain, I willingly used my school savings to have it doctored and placed in a cast, then gingerly nurses it back to health over the some months. Scenario 1 and 2 seem reasonable, isn’t it? The problem with our culture is that marriage is more often treated like the first scenario. A discardable possession. When your relationship experiences difficulty, you are urged to dump your spouse for a “newer model.” The truth is, marriage is more like the second scenario. You are a part of one another. You would never cut off your right leg if it was injured but would pay whatever you could afford for the best medical treatment possible. That’s because your leg is priceless to you. It is part of who you are.

And so is your spouse. You & ur spouse are a beautiful mystery created by God, joining two lives together as one. This not only happens physically but spiritually and emotionally. You start off sharing the same house, the same bed, the same last name.

Let me ask you.. Do u share the same room & bed? Your identity as individuals has been joined into one. When you find success at your job, both of you rejoice. When one of you goes through a tragedy, both of you feel it. But somewhere along the way, you experience disappointment and pain. Your relationship gets broken. The sobering reality that you married a very imperfect person sets in. This, however, does not change the fact that your spouse is still a part of you. Ephesians 5:28-28, the word cherish means “to make warm.” Imagine a newborn baby who feels alone, cold, hungry, and afraid, longing to be held. Then his new mother lovingly picks him up, nursing, caressing, and holding her infant child. Her careful attention and tender affection warms her baby both physically and emotionally.

This is the biblical picture of how a husband and wife are to cherish one another. Life is cold and unpredictable. Everyday stress can wear us down. Relationships can sometimes be hard and go through seasons of winter instead of those warm days of spring. It is our responsibility, above every other person on the face of the earth, to step in and tenderly touch, caress, and warm the life and the heart of our spouse. Coming up behind your wife at the sink and kissing her on the neck. Don’t bring work home, no Internet please. It’s cherishing time. Reaching over in the car and caressing his arm. Putting your arm around her while sitting in church. Walking closely beside him and taking his hand. Holding her while you watch a movie together. When last did u watch a movie together. Did i hear u say theres no time? Isnt that y ur relationship stinks? When you mistreat your mate, you are also mistreating yourself. Think about it. Your lives are now interwoven together. Your spouse cannot experience joy or pain, blessing or cursing, without it also affecting you. So when you attack your mate, it is like attacking your own body.

It’s time to let love change your thinking. It’s time for you to realize that your spouse is as much a part of you as your hand, your eye, or your heart. She, too, needs to be loved and cherished. And if she has brokenness and issues causing pain or frustration, then you should nourish and cherish her with the same love and tenderness as you would a bodily injury. If he is wounded in some way, you should think of yourself as an instrument that helps bring warmth and healing to his life. In light of this, think about how you treat your spouse’s physical body. Do you cherish it as your own? Do you treat it with respect and tenderness? Do you take pleasure in who they are? Or do you make them feel foolish or embarrassed? Just as you guard the safety and well-being of your own body, you should treasure every part of your spouse as a priceless gift. Whenever a husband looks into the eyes of his wife, he should remember that “he who loves his wife loves himself.” So treat her well. Speak highly of him. Nourish and cherish the love of your life.

Devote urself to some cherishing & nourishing act. Look into her eyes, feel her skin, touch her neck, pull her close to u.

Cherrish each other and bring back the glowing joy u once had.

It’s a great day. ENJOY