Make Yourself Available to be Used by God
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Have you heard this scripture teaching before?

“Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church, and gave himself up for her…”

Wow! Now that is a hefty responsibility for a husband. To love his wife so sacrificially that he is willing to die for her? Now that’s love, true love. If you continue reading this Galations passage, you discover that the scripture does not work in the reverse. “Wives, love your husbands as Christ loved…” It’s not in there… Really, it’s not in there. This leads to the conclusion that IF the husband can truly love his wife in this way, her natural response will be to truly love HIM in return. It’s pretty amazing how God designed men and women to go together.

However, this command to husbands does not dissolve our love responsibility IF our husbands are not exactly loving us this way.

In fact, the New Testament does provide some specific instructions about loving our husbands. In Titus, the Bible instructs the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands. This was a new one to me. I mean I had read the passage, but it had never really hit me the way it did this week.

I pose this question, are you the younger woman or the older woman? Maybe, like me, you are both. I’ve been married 15 years. I have knowledge and experience to teach younger women about marriage but I also have loads to learn.

If you are a Christian woman, I challenge you to action. In order to fulfill this scripture, make sure you are available. Don’t be afraid to ask younger wives how it is going. Don’t be afraid to ask older women for help. Be sensitive to the Spirit. Make yourself available to be used by God. Granted, you don’t want to dump “101 tips for communicating with your husband” on someone who didn’t ask, but you want to be there for the younger women who says, "Hey, I’m really frustrated here. What can I do?" Make yourself available to be used by God.

Look at the older marriages you admire. Call someone in your church directory or send them a note. “I notice you and your husband seem to communicate well. From what you shared in Sunday School, you mentioned marriage is work. I wonder if you would be willing to share with me what you’ve learned.”

If you go to a wedding, make a note in next year’s calendar to send that one year anniversary card. Write your “how is it going?” question and include your phone number or email. Make yourself available to be used by God.

If you see an anniversary date for that couple in church who you admire, send a card. Write your “what makes a great marriage?” question and include your number or email. (You already know what I am going to write next.) Make yourself available to be used by God.