Daily devotion – Monday 2nd August 2021
Ephesians 5: 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
The Apostle Paul teaches us that a marriage is a great example of what the Church is to be like, and vice versa. In the previous verses Paul has advised that wives are to submit themselves to their husbands….as unto the Lord.
That husbands are to love their wives….as Christ loved the Church.
There are not many husbands or wives who would put up with or enjoy being married to someone that goes missing for periods of time. Or someone who says they will do something or be somewhere and not turn up.
Nor would any husband or wife be happy with a marriage where their spouse wanted to spend time away from them to be with another man or woman.
Every husband and wife would love to have a faithful spouse!
How is then that many who name the name of Christ, treat their relationship with Jesus Christ as a casual affair?
Jesus said when He returns to the earth will He find faith! Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
How good is your word? Can you be relied upon for it?
How faithful are you to the things of God?
Is it no wonder that many marriages fall apart – Christian marriages today – because people no longer consider their yes being a yes or their no being a no?
Is it no wonder that children don’t trust their parents’ words because they don’t keep them?
Can you be relied upon? Can your word be trusted?
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, it should be a guarantee that what you commit to should be solid! You should be faithful!
It seems it’s a one-way street at times where individuals demand accountability to them, faithfulness to them when they think a matter important.
But put the shoe on the other foot…..it’s another story.
When Paul instructed Timothy a young pastor with his last words he instructed Timothy to…. 2Ti 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Not talented men, not charismatic men but faithful men!
The Church today is desperately in need of faithful men and women – are you able to fit the bill? Can you be trusted with your word?
It’s a quality that makes a marriage work, a marriage strong and a family that can be used by God!
It’s a quality that is in trouble in the Church in the time we now live.