“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
That’s the way He loves us. But read it again. That’s what we are called to- the constant wooing, the constant forgiving, the constant yearning for the purity of your partner, the long-suffering, the constant loving- what a high call! Of course, this is about marriage, but it’s always helpful to have a reference point. Some ideals are simply worth keeping.
Oh, who am I to give advice? So take it from a married man
instead. Here’s a book for all the hopefuls on a beautiful V-Day: a sweet and bitter providence by Piper. You
can download the free PDF book here (it’s free and legal but buy it if you can
afford it). I really do hope that some of you will pick this book up because I
think it gives some insights on how a God-centred relationship would look like.
Let me whet your appetite with some choice excerpts:
“The question this chapter answers is, What do a God-saturated man, a God-dependent young woman, and a God-exalting older woman do when they are filled with hope in the sovereign goodness of God? The answer is that they manifest what I am going to call strategic righteousness.
By righteousness I mean a zeal for doing what is good and right—a zeal for doing what is fitting when God is taken into account as sovereign and merciful. By strategic I mean that there is intention, purposefulness, planning. There is a kind of inactive righteousness that simply avoids evil. But strategic righteousness takes the initiative and dreams of how to make things right.…
I imagine her pulse racing as Boaz awoke. Then come the all-important words: “I am Ruth . . . spread your wing over your maidservant.” I picture an immense silence for a moment while Boaz let himself believe that this magnificent woman had really understood—had so profoundly and sensitively understood. A middle-aged man is interested in a young widow whom he discreetly calls “my daughter” (2:8; 3:10–11), uncertain whether her heart might be going after the younger men, communicating with a subtle word picture that he wants to be God’s wings for her. Then a young widow gradually reads between the lines and finally risks an interpretation by coming in the middle of the night to take refuge under the wing of his garment. That’s powerful stuff! Anybody who thinks that a loose woman and a finagling mother-in-law are at work here are missing something beautiful. All is subtle. All is righteous. All is strategic..
Don’t be like the world. Be like Boaz. Be like Ruth. Profound in love. Subtle and perceptive in communication. Powerful in self-control. Committed to strategic righteousness.”
Wouldn’t that look beautiful? Profound in love, subtle and perceptive in communication, powerful in self-control, committed to strategic righteousness. Let’s all be that.
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May all of you have a lovely Valentines Day. Here's a piece of my heart:
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