Lake Eufaula Christian Church
Gratitude if the attitude.
Resist the emotions. Adjust unhealthy thinking.
Communicate kindly. Express appreciation. God calls every family member to model grace in their relationships. Because followers of Jesus receive grace from God, we are called to share that grace with others. Sometimes sharing God’s grace with those in your own family is extremely difficult to do. Nevertheless, that’s where sharing should start.
Exactly what is grace? It is God’s unmerited favor or forgiveness and “Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from His fullness for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17) A Bible verse that has been much misused tells us how wives should show grace to their husbands. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:2224) This scripture is actually pointing to the order that God has set up to help the family work to the best of its ability. The word submit means “yield.” When you see a yellow stoplight, you’re not supposed to gun it and put the pedal to the metal to get through that stoplight at Mach 7! Yield means you should cautiously think of others— slow down and consider the situation in a healthy way, whether the situation occurs on the highway or between husband and wife.
Ephesians 5:25-30 tells husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word…. In the same way husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of His body.”
God asks husbands to be their families’ spiritual leaders and wives to respect their their husbands’ position, yielding to God’s design and submitting to that leadership as it follows Christ. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church—un-conditionally. If we had to be perfect for Jesus to love us, we would never be loved! The church is full of people who fail, stumble, and fall. But, Jesus still chose to sacrifice Himself for us. Husbands are called to love their wives in the same sacrificial way.
Husbands can show God’s grace to their families through discipleship. Guys, pray out loud over your wives. Pray out loud over your children. Speak God’s word over your wives. Speak God’s word over your children. God has laid the responsibility of your family’s spiritual health upon a husband’s shoulders. That is God’s design.
His design for children is just as clear. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1-3) Our congregation at LECC strives to follow God’s wishes and invites you to join us in doing so at 415987 Highway 9, Eufaula, for Sunday school at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesday all-age activities at 6:30 p.m. Newcomers bring our joyful church even more joy.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
