There is something that I believe each of us can recognize within ourselves as born-again believers, something that every servant of the Most High understands completely, we cannot serve Him as we would desire to. We are told to love Christ above all others, even family, wife, children, everyone we know is to be second to Him, even own lives are to hold no value to us.
The Scripture reference that my wonderful wife read for us after dinner tonight was Matthew 10: 37-38. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” And although I did not voice it out loud this evening, I have in the past said these words to her, “You are second in my life.”
Have you done this, can you do it, can you look at your devoted spouse, at your children that you would die for, and say to them, “I love Jesus more than I love you.” I have met very few that have done so, and more is the pity for it. If you are the head of your household, then your first responsibility is to the Lord God, if it is not, your household will never grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, Christ will take second place in none of His followers’ lives, He is either all or He is nothing. If you believe differently, then you are mistaken, and the husband or wife who hears anything else from your lips should be corrected with the Word of God immediately. Far too many parents place their children’s needs and wants in the material and emotional world above the directives of how the Scriptures say they are to be raised, trusting their own initiatives or the advice of friends and family members above the Word of God. This is an almost guarantee for failure.
Any woman who professes Christ as Savior wants one thing from her husband, for him to be Christ-like, compassion mixed with strength, love directed by actions that are clearly from the Scriptures. I have never once prayed for the Lord to make me a good husband, I have never once asked Him to help me to become the kind of man my wife desires, I have only ever asked for Him to make me the type of husband His Word says I am to be. In doing so, by allowing Him to direct my life in this manner, it is Christ that my wife sees in me, a responsibility I can in no way attain to. In return, she in her own way and prayers, asks of the Lord to turn her into a “Proverbs 31” woman, a woman of character and integrity, one whose “husband doth safely trust in her.” (Prov. 31:11)
One plus one does not make three in the household of two married believers my friends, it still only makes two, for those two are becoming one, (Gen. 2:24) and can only do so with complete submission to the will and Word of God. But you may forget the happy little carefree life if the two of you submit to the will of God in this manner, for you will be noticed. Our adversary hates every child of God, but just below a church that is on fire for Christ, I believe he hates these couples who have made a conscience decision to serve Christ as one soul, as one in Christ. More temptations, more struggles, but more grace than you will know how to comprehend, your cup will most definitely run over.
The desire to serve will be greater the more you serve, and the Lord truly blesses those couples, but not as you might think, you will have plenty of time to rejoice in trials and tribulations, you will find that those in the world and those who are only professing Christ with their lips will stop darkening your doorway, but you will also find great joy when the one you love on this planet the most looks you in the eye and says that nothing or no one is more important to you than them, except Christ. It’s not so bad being in second place when the only One above you is the Sovereign Lord of all creation. We should all be so blessed.
