Topic: Commitment To Your Spouse (2)
Dear Reader,
It is another wonderful time in God’s presence! It is my prayer that at the end of this teaching, you will be effectively committed to your family to the point of reaping its rewards. Last week, I shared with you on the importance of, first, being committed to God and then your spouse. This week, I want to teach on another aspect of showing commitment to your spouse which is titled: Treat Your Spouse as Yourself.
It is important to know that as husband and wife, God recognises you as one. Two becoming one is God’s own arithmetic. An understanding of the mystery of one flesh will make husband and wife treat each other the same way, they would treat their original self. The Bible says:
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise (Luke 6:31). What you cannot do to yourself, don’t do to your spouse. Treat your spouse the same way you want him or her to treat you. Mike Murdock, a renowned man of God said, “What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.”
If you want your spouse to be kind to you, then you have the responsibility to be kind to him or her in return. If you want respect from your spouse, you also need to show respect. It is important that husband and wife foster the development of each other, promote each other, treat each other with affection and tenderness, hold each other dear to the heart and keep each other fondly in mind. An understanding of the mystery of one flesh will help a great deal to treat your spouse as yourself.
The Bible says: For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:29).The word ‘nourish’ means to provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth. It also means to foster development or promote. It also defines “cherish” as “treat with affection and tenderness; hold dear; to keep fondly in mind.” What you sow is what you reap. You must not maltreat your spouse, if you do not want to be treated the same way. What you put into your marriage is what it will give back to you!
When it comes to the issue of love, it is reciprocal. To love your spouse is to love yourself, and to hate your spouse is to hate yourself. Some couples so maltreat each other that they engage in physical combat. But when you understand the mystery of one flesh, you will not dare to maltreat your spouse.
Even respect in marriage is not one-sided. Most people think it is only the woman that should show respect; it is reciprocal. There must be respect for each party that makes up the home, for the Bible says the husband should honour his wife. This sounds very un-African, but it is the truth. The Bible talks about, Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21).
It is common knowledge that the more respect you give to your spouse; the more respect you earn back. If you form the habit of talking disrespectfully to your spouse, especially before others, they will also treat him or her the same way.
“I have been married for over 12 years and I did not enjoy as much as I do now. I thank God for our mother in the Lord, who during the Family Renewal seminar preached to us. Since then, the Lord has turned around the tide, just through my obedience to the Word. She preached that day and laid emphasis on wives being submissive to their husbands in everything, just like the church submits to Christ. I didn’t realise I wasn’t totally submissive. I wept so much in church that day and went to the Lord saying, ‘Lord, from this day, I know that obedience is the key.’
And since that day I have been enjoying what all my fasting, binding and all couldn’t deliver to me. I did so many things to get my husband to love me – fasted, bound, loosed – but I thank God that now it is like I’m wedded anew.” – Adebayo, I.
If you value the principle of treating your spouse as yourself, you would not think of beating your partner for any reason. Most times, I cannot understand how a man or woman can decide to beat his/her spouse. That is an extreme case of a person absolutely out of control emotionally. My husband would often say, “A man that beats his wife will be construed as being mentally imbalanced, because he is actually beating himself.”
It takes a heart that is tuned to God to be able to treat your spouse like yourself. To be in tune with God, you need to surrender your life to Christ. If you want to be born again, you can say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).
With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).
Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.