Grandpa Lake’s Weblog

My wife is just that: my wife. But is she really? She is not my possession, for our relationship is temporary — for as long as we both shall live. My wife was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, even as I was.

Paul recognized this when he wrote to the church at Corinth, “…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own; For you were bought at a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19,20. This applies to her, as well as to me.

God gave my wife to me to hold in trust for Him, not for my own pleasure. I am always conscious of the fact that I will be held to account for how I influence her life. I am called to love her, because she needs love to thrive. I am called to affirm her, because she needs affirmation. I am called to do many things, because of her God-given needs. He did not call me to give her what she may think she needs or wants, necessarily, but to give her those things that will result in increasing her eternal well-being. In my marriage, thankfully, there is not a wide gap between these two things.

My brothers in Christ, if you are married, I admonish you to look at your wife as God’s property that He has given you to hold in trust for Him. If you are not married, but are called to be, look at the eligible lady who comes your way, not in terms of how she may meet your needs, but how you may benefit her in this life and for eternity.

You ladies must remember that, although your husband’s God-given needs are different from yours, you are also called to serve him in the fear of God, even as he is called to serve you — and both of you together to serve your children.

Come to think of it, every human being has been bought by the blood of our Lord Jesus. Those who are aware of this should keep it in mind in all of our dealings. But, this won’t be a problem if each of us can learn to treat his mate as a trust from God.