Christ & His Bride & My Wife

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself."

Christ's love for his bride makes me look like the most pathetic husband ever.

What??  Yes.  Recently married - about 5 1/2 months now - and already I'm learning about how selfish human beings are.  She will not want to be cuddly with me and insist on having space.  I will complain that I'm too tired to cook dinner and that I'm hesitant to do it, as I don't have a clue what I'm doing.  k

Selfishness.  Two sinners living together.  Yowssah!

Compared to Christ... I'm a pathetic example of Christ's love for his bride.  He died for her.  Am I willing to lay down my time for her?  Christ hasn't called me to endure anything CLOSE to the suffering he went through for HIS bride... so why am I so  ...  so ... lacking? 

It is frustrating.  When we decided to have Ephesians 5 read as part of our wedding ceremony, it was because I wanted the gospel to be proclaimed to those who were in attendance - both those who have never repented and trusted in the gospel AND those who had, that they may look to Christ continually (the preached word as a means of grace).  I wanted to emphasize the union between a man and his bride as a visible gospel depiction of Christ's union with his bride - the redeemed - the Church. 

The picture of Christ and his Bride does not end after the wedding and reception ends, however.  It continues THROUGHOUT the marriage. 

The entire marriage, not just the ceremony, is to be a visible picture of Christ's love and sacrifice for his Bride that he showed and performed on the cross to redeem many sinners. 

This is particularly challenging to me this week.  Christ is long-suffering.  I am self-serving.  When His Bride goes against his desires, He remains ever-faithful.  I easily get spiteful and sinfully irritated. 

As frustrated as I get with my wife at times... I have done infinitely more to against my Savior I am in covenant relationship with.  When I sin against Christ, does Christ, in turn, sin against me??  No.  As a visible gospel-picture, I am to treat my bride with the love, care, and faithfulness that Christ treats his that he foreknew. 

God, give me the will and ability to visibly show the gospel in my marriage to Kacey.  I can never be the gracious husband toward Kacey that you are to your Bride.  Yet this is what you call me, as one you have saved by grace through the gift of faith for works, to do.  I desire to place my wife above myself, to die to self, and live to serve and sanctify her, as you are sanctifying and purifying your church.  Amen.