Hebrews 13:16, English Standard Version

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

We often hear the above passage quoted in reference to the way that we treat other people or how we give to help those in need. But, as a husband or wife, should we also seek to do good to our spouse and to share what we have been given with them? That may sound like a simple question to answer, but is it always practiced in the marriage relationship?

Recently, I was blessed to teach about Biblical stewardship. A lot of the teaching revolved around the topics of money and possessions and how the Lord is in fact the One who owns all of it and we are simply stewards who are called to manage what He has entrusted to us. One day my wife and I were driving in the car, and she made a comment about how a husband and wife should be stewards of each other. I thought it was a very interesting comment because it causes us to think about our marriage in a different way.

First, when we think about our marriage in this way, we realize that our spouse is a gift from the Lord. If we have received a gift from the Lord, I would think that we seek to cherish it. Do we cherish our spouse in this way? I know in my own life there are many times that I fail to show my wife the care and concern that I should. There are times that I act in ways and say things that do not show her respect. There are times that I take her for granted and fail to show her the appreciation that she should receive. There are times that I forgot that she is here because the Lord created her to be my wife and He made her in such a way that she perfectly complements me.

Second, am I actively investing my time, efforts, and abilities to serve and love her? There are many things that I do throughout each day. I may spend time writing and studying. I may spend time doing work in the shop or meeting with people. There are many days when we leave the house early in the morning for meetings and don’t stop working until it is almost time for bed. But in the middle of all that activity and work, do I ever take time to focus on my wife and give my full attention to her? Do I use the gifts and abilities that I have been blessed with to love and serve her? I believe that all too often we can neglect to place the needs of our spouse as a priority and instead focus on the business of life until we don’t have any left to give to our spouse.

I know that most marriages are not perfect. There are challenges that each marriage faces, some can be extremely difficult. Today, however, I want to challenge you to consider your spouse in a different way. Consider seeing your spouse through the eyes of the Lord and loving them as He loves them. Seek to serve them and to cherish them. The Bible says that when we do this “such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Let us seek to please God through our marriages.