Husband, Why Withhold your Love?
Coria Brock
July 21, 2024
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25 (NIV), “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
As I am writing this article for marriage, I am led back to this same scripture again and again. The Word of God is wonderful, alive and active, and one scripture can bring many different inspirations. (If you go back to read the previous marriage articles you will find how true this is.)
We seem to know very well how the Word describes the relationship between a husband and a wife, that it should look like (act like and love like as well) the relationship between Christ and His church. This time I was led to think in the opposite direction – not about how to love but what it means to unlove. If Christ will never withhold His love from His church, then husbands, why would you withhold your love from your wife? Does Jesus love His church even when it is imperfect? Does Jesus show His loving kindness only when His church faithfully serves Him? Does Jesus demand the love of His church like a dictator demands the love of their people? There is nothing that can separate Christ’s love from His church. He will never withhold the goodness, the blessings, and the love for them as well. Instead, He will always be there in their time of need. He is their help and the shield.
I am a wife, not a perfect one (no one is). I am fall short (all time of the glory of God and sometime from the expectations of man). I have my weaknesses (my nature) and yet, I strive to be a good enough wife (to be a good servant, a good church to Christ). When I ask the question, “Husband (each and every one of you), why withhold your love?”, I do not intend to put blame on the husband. I am not in any way saying that if something is wrong in a marriage then it must be the husband’s fault. I also know that the Word directs wives to submit to their husbands as well. There is no weakness that can justify His church to rebel against the Lord, and the same is of the wife to their husband.
What I am saying to you, brothers and sisters, is not intended for those who are lost in the fallen world. I am sharing my inspiration to those who know Christ and believe in Him and strive to follow Him. We (His church) love because He (Christ) loved us first. A wife (His church) submits to him (Christ) because she finds his love and she receives his love (just as His church finds and receives Christ’s love). So, husband (Christ) should give (just as Christ gave) himself up for her to help her and guide her just as they love their own bodies (just as Christ makes His church holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through His word, to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.) After all, he who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-30)
Christ does not withhold His love, so husbands neither should you. At the same time, wives, learn to love your husband as you learn to love the Lord.