Many people graduate with a high school diploma. Others are able to reach a bachelor's, master, or doctorate degree in a particular field. All who have reached a certain degree of education can say that it is very rewarding, and the skills and lessons learned through the years can be very helpful in any chosen pursuit.
If that's true, then all Christian husbands should at least embark on a lifetime course getting to know their wives. Get the idea? If you don't, please read on because this is something you'd want for yourself as a husband.
When we choose to love our wives the way we're supposed to
Ephesians 5:25-27 gives all of us Christian husbands very clear instruction on how to love our wives:
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
We are to love our wives the way Christ loved the church. Many of us understand that this means loving our wives sacrificially and wholeheartedly, even to the point of sacrificing our needs and comfort so we can meet theirs. That is true, good and noble.
One facet of Christ's love that many of us fail to realize, however is this:
"...He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." (see John 2:24-25)
Christ Jesus knew all of us. In fact, He knows us all better than ourselves; Psalm 139:15 says,
"My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."
Jesus knew all of us, and yet He loved us. Romans 5:8 tells us that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
What's that got to do with this?
Christ loved us even when He knew all the secrets that we keep. This should at least motivate us to do our best to know our wives more and keep loving them. When we get to know them better, we get the opportunity to love them more.
That said, here are a few things every Christian husband should know about their wives.
1) They want to be pursued continually
Just like how the church wants to receive tons of love from God, our wives want us to shower our love and attention on them. They want us to pursue them continually, even in increasing intensity the longer we stay together. It's easy to drop the 'pursuit' after marriage but it's so important to your wife's esteem and sense of worth that you show some visible effort to love her. That may mean cancelling a night out with the men, going to the gym less often, or spending less time in your man cave. If it makes her feel happy and secure, and in turn show you more love and respect, it's totally worth it.
2) They long for us to lead them, even if they seem independent
Just like how the church longs to be led and directed by Christ into the things of God, our wives want us to fulfill our role as the head of the family and lead them into God's purposes for our marriages. We can't expect them to lead the marriage, because that's our God-given role. That means taking the initiative in going to church and church-related events, praying together, and studying God's Word together. Trust me, they don't want to be the ones reminding us husbands of what we should be doing.
3) They are little girls at heart
Just like how the church continues to cry out to Jesus at every single problem or issue, our wives also want to be cherished, protected, secured, provided for, and loved. They can seem tough and strong but there is a "little girl" inside every woman who loves to be loved by us. Yes, even the most "grown up" woman loves nothing more than to hear you say how pretty she looks or how much you want to spend time with her and only her today.
