Submission

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 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. ~ Ephesians 5:21-33

I was asked to post this verse this morning and since I didn't come up with anything to blog about in my daily readings, I thought this would be good. So many times the verses about a wife submitting to her husband are taking out of context of this entire passage. Husbands are also called to love their wives as they love their own bodies - that is a LOT of love. And to love their wives as Christ loved the church - that is EVEN more love. I remember a pastor one time was preaching on this verse and he recalled a dialogue with a man.

Pastor: Do you love your wife the way Christ loved the church?
Man: Oh yes, I would die for my wife!
Pastor: Yes, but would you vacuum?

That has always stuck in my head. We can say we love someone enough to die for them and we probably do, but it is not often that we are called to literally sacrifice our life for that person. However, we can die to our selfish desires every day for them.

Here is a link to sermon on this passage (different pastor): To Listen. To Download. If those links don't work, visit here and look for "Getting a Handle on Love" on 1/6 & 1/7.

Be Lights!

Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

This is my Memorize the Message verse for the week (by the way, I have yet to memorize one, but I do leave it out on my desk to read all week long). It ties in with the Craig's Dirty Feet message yesterday. His message was about serving and he said, "By serving we direct the eyes of people to the cross." Serving is a way to be light to the world.

This also made me thinking about how we should be open with others. Sometimes, as Christians we think we must always be perfect and never make any mistakes or else we might cause someone to stumble. I think this attitude actually causes people to reject Christianity. First, they believe they must be perfect BEFORE they can be Christian (when actually God accepts us as we are and THEN He perfects us). Secondly, when Christians have the attitude that they are perfect and then stumble, it causes people to reject Christianity because they see us as hypocrites. Instead, we should admit that we are still not perfect and that we have difficulties and then we can share how God is working in our lives to change us. When we share how God has changed us and is still changing us, it gives people hope that He will do the same for them.

The One Thing

Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him. ~ Philippians 3:8-9

Today's sermon was on resolutions and "The One Thing." The One Thing is Jesus Christ and knowing Him. Ron encouraged use to take steps to grow in our relationship with Christ during the new year. That is what journalling is for. God has been asking me to journal for quite some time now. There is no mistake that this is the next step for me to take. I have a feeling that 2007 will be great and I will get to Him a lot more!