Called to be like Christ

A new, amazing chapter has begun in my (our) lives. And so, it seems appropriate enough for me to start blogging again, ha ha. I'm not sure if this will mean a different blog name or even a new blog altogether, but that's for another blog post...

Today, I have been pondering over what it means for me to be married to my Love, Sarah Parker (formerly Evans).

Ephesians 5 has more recently been on my mind as being one of those "marriage" passages (though the whole Bible should be considered marriage material), and something within that chapter has kept my attention today and for all the rest of my days to come.

God, in Ephesians 5, calls me to love my wife, as Christ loved His church. I have no higher calling than this. I am called to love Sarah with the same love as Christ's love! And for many new husbands that might cause is to curl up in a ball and hide in a corner, or just quit.... but for me this is the most exciting thing ever! I have a calling that has nothing to do with my job, my friends, my circles, my pay level, my skills, my abilities, my personality, my popularity, my giftedness, my spiritual gifts, my accomplishments, my winsomeness, my smiles, my laughs, my handsomeness, etc (yes, these can all be good things, and they are).

This calling is so much higher, because it is a calling to be like Christ. As Christ loved His Bride, the Church.... I GET to do the same. And because of the Gospel, and Christ living in me, I can! Of course, I certainly won't love her in any perfect way, shape or fashion, but I GET to love my wife in this way. I get to show her love, by dying to myself a thousand times over, as Christ died to the point of death on a cross for His Bride. Is this easy? A piece of cake? A walk in the park? No! But I know that this is what God calls me to, and in His will is where I will find my greatest joy and know His greatest delight!

So I begin by calling myself to, in the power that Christ supplies, love my wife, my Love, my Beautiful, as Christ loves His Church (because I get to, not because I "have" to). I would pray that all husbands who love Jesus more than their wives would also love their bride in the same way....

....because they GET to :-)

p.s. photo above taken by the amazing Christy Giusti