Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…
I give my wife the dregs of my love. And like the bottom of the beer barrel, the dregs taste bitter.
At the end of the long day at work I come into the kitchen and collapse with little or no emotional energy left to spend on her. So I make a few helpful comments about the tidiness of the house from the position of my chair, before slumping into the tea (supper for you southerners!) that she sets before me.
I think the reason that I do this is that I put my work over her. It’s very easy when you’re a pastor. I mean I’m called to care for God’s people. Lead Jesus sheep. Preach the very word of God. There is no more important job in the world. The problem is that I think that I’d probably do the same whatever job I had. Because jobs and careers and money are all more important in our society than loving our wives or husbands. And as a sinner I love to feel important.
It’s interesting that I can’t find a verse in the Bible that commands pastors to love their churches. I think that we should. But maybe Jesus in His wisdom realised that I was less likely to love my wife properly?