"Compromise is NOT an Option"
Headship is always "giving up" one's self. Headship is never "lording it over" another. So, the Christian husband, your kingly crown is a crown of thorns. In describing the headship of the Christian husband, C.S. Lewis said:
"Christian law has crowned him in the permanent relationship of marriage, bestowing-- or should I say, inflicting?-- a certain "headship" on him... The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church. He is to love her as Christ loved the Church -- read on -- and gave his life for her (Ephesians 5:25). This headship, then, is most fully enbodied not in the husband we should all wish to be but in Him whose marriage is most like a crucifixion; whose wife receives most and gives least, is most unworthy of him, is -- in her own mere nature -- least loveable. For the Church has no beauty but what the Bridegroom gives her; he does not find, but makes her lovely. The chrism of this terrible coronation is to be seen not in the joys of any man's marriage but in its sorrow, in the sickness and sufferings of a good wife or the faults of a bad one; in his unwearingly (never paraded) care or his inexhaustible forgiveness; forgiveness not acquiscence. As Christ sees in the flawed, proud, fanatical, or lukewarm Church on earth that Bride who will one day be without spot or wrinkle, and labours to produce the latter, so the husband whose headship is Christ-like (and he is allowed no other sort) never despairs..."
Think about it. Christ did not come to earth for Himself, but for you. Your marriage is not given to you for you; it is given to you for her. Your marriage is not a gift for your satisfaction; it is labour for her development. She is not a gratuity to you; you are a sacrifice for her. You are not drawn to her for her beauty; you are to render her beautiful through your own pain.
The Christian husband works at great length to actually produce a beauty in his wife. He prays, "Lord help me to make my wife the most beautiful woman in the world to me." And he puts the feet of mature, humble sacrifice to his prayers.
excerpt from "Four Pillars of a Man's Heart" by Stu Weber
Just something I thought I'd like to share cos it really touched my heart when I read this.
Need I say more?
"Christian law has crowned him in the permanent relationship of marriage, bestowing-- or should I say, inflicting?-- a certain "headship" on him... The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church. He is to love her as Christ loved the Church -- read on -- and gave his life for her (Ephesians 5:25). This headship, then, is most fully enbodied not in the husband we should all wish to be but in Him whose marriage is most like a crucifixion; whose wife receives most and gives least, is most unworthy of him, is -- in her own mere nature -- least loveable. For the Church has no beauty but what the Bridegroom gives her; he does not find, but makes her lovely. The chrism of this terrible coronation is to be seen not in the joys of any man's marriage but in its sorrow, in the sickness and sufferings of a good wife or the faults of a bad one; in his unwearingly (never paraded) care or his inexhaustible forgiveness; forgiveness not acquiscence. As Christ sees in the flawed, proud, fanatical, or lukewarm Church on earth that Bride who will one day be without spot or wrinkle, and labours to produce the latter, so the husband whose headship is Christ-like (and he is allowed no other sort) never despairs..."
Think about it. Christ did not come to earth for Himself, but for you. Your marriage is not given to you for you; it is given to you for her. Your marriage is not a gift for your satisfaction; it is labour for her development. She is not a gratuity to you; you are a sacrifice for her. You are not drawn to her for her beauty; you are to render her beautiful through your own pain.
The Christian husband works at great length to actually produce a beauty in his wife. He prays, "Lord help me to make my wife the most beautiful woman in the world to me." And he puts the feet of mature, humble sacrifice to his prayers.
excerpt from "Four Pillars of a Man's Heart" by Stu Weber
Just something I thought I'd like to share cos it really touched my heart when I read this.
Need I say more?
posted by Aaron @ 2:28:00 AM
3 Comments:
At 1:52 PM ,
Anonymous said...
It brings to mind two challenges: complacency and fatigue. I feel that it's only through total yielding to the Lord would it be possible to maintain the posture of humility and sacrifice.
Thanx for sharing the passage...Just me.
At 9:24 PM ,
Aaron said...
You are so right... cos only in the Lord can we have the renewal of strength to carry on giving and giving. :)
who's this? hahaha...
At 9:28 AM ,
Anonymous said...
You really don't need to say more. :) was touched by the passages you shared, which I am sure many who read them have been touched too...PL
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