FAMILY AND MARRIAGE -5

*Study scripture*

*Ephesians 5:1*
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

*FAMILY AND MARRIAGE -5*
(How to love your spouse – Part 1)

Menh! If we will just understand the weight and magnitude that our theme scripture carries; this just has the power to change the way we love our partners or spouse in our relationships, marriages for good. I assure you we will start to experience greater victories, happier marriages and we won’t just be enduring them because that’s not God’s best. God wants you to enjoy your marriage and relationship for the Glory of His Name.

Again the portion of scripture says,” *…be imitators of God as dear Children* .” The idea is that men can learn and imitate in their marriages or relationships ” *_How Christ has loved the church, His bride because this is the model marriage, it’s the model Relationship._* ” And if you think Christ has had it easy with His choice of a Bride; the Church, scripture will prove you otherwise. The church meaning us haven’t always been at our best, time after time we have failed and still fail our Husband by falling short of His glory ( *Romans 3:23* ) through the sins at times we allow to ensnare us like idolatry, covetousness etc and yet Christ has never given up on us, His love for us has never flacuated, He actually now not only forgives but covers our sin and imputes it on us no more ( *Romans 4:7-8* ) so we surely do well to imitate such a loving and faithful Husband, Christ. _Your marriage just can’t go wrong when you start to imitate Christ’s way of loving His bride can it?_

*So how has Christ loved the church?* There are so many things that show the love of God and how he deals with the church but maybe the most obvious scripture is from ( *1 Corinthians 13:4-8* ) which talks about the traits of God’s kind of Love and it says His love _”suffers long [and] is kind; does not envy; parade itself, puff up; behave rudely, seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…._” [paraphrased]

*So this is what I will do as a Dear child* . If God is patient with his Bride, so will I be to my wife. If He is kind, so will I be to my wife. If He never keeps a record of wrong, I won’t keep my wife’s record of wrong as well, if He isn’t rude and irritable to the church, I won’t also be that to my wife, if He extends Grace, Mercy and forgiveness and doesn’t give the Church what it deserves even when it errors and misses the mark, me too I will not give my wife what she deserves when she misses the mark… etc and it’s possible to love this way friends because I have this very God who is love (1 *John 4:16)* in me and He (Love) works in me both to will and to do according to His good pleasure ( *Philippians 2;13)* Amen.

*PRAYER*
Thank you Jesus. Amen