September 4: Love that Mirrors Christ

-

 Love that Mirrors Christ

By Sharon Campbell-Danvers | Daughters Arise Ministries

Scripture Focus:
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

By Sharon Campbell-Danvers | Daughters Arise Ministries



– Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)

The success of any marriage requires hard work, intentionality, and unwavering commitment. As someone once said, “If you truly want to make it to heaven, get married!” Marriage is one of the most significant training grounds for discipleship. It is a sacred journey that demands grace, patience, forgiveness, and the daily dying of self.

Loving your husband as Christ loves the Church is not always easy. It takes time, maturity, understanding, and resilience. Let us be honest, some spouses are difficult to love. Their actions, choices, or communication styles can make it increasingly complex to remain open, vulnerable, and tender-hearted. Let me be clear: I am not speaking about physical or emotional abuse, which should never be tolerated or excused by anyone, including the Church. I am referring to the everyday challenges of married life, including misunderstandings, selfishness, mood swings, pride, poor communication, differing expectations, and the fatigue that comes with daily responsibilities.

One principle that has kept me grounded in my own marriage is regularly reflecting on my relationship with Christ. When I consider how sinful and broken I am, how often I fall short, yet am still loved, it humbles me. That humility leads me to love my spouse more deeply. It challenges me to offer grace, to forgive quickly, and to let go of offences that are not worth the emotional weight they carry.

Who am I not to love, when I am so indebted to the One who loves me unconditionally? My sense of gratitude to God fuels my determination to love intentionally and sacrificially. Even in moments of frustration or conflict, I am reminded that reconciliation is a gift, not a weakness.

Reaching this point in marriage is a journey. It does not happen overnight. It requires a daily recommitment to mirror the love of Christ in our words, actions, and attitudes. In retrospect, many of the things that cause us to question our love, or hinder us from loving like Jesus, are not worth the pain they cause. Pride, offence, unforgiveness, and the unwillingness to bend have cost many marriages their joy and peace. We often give up on good relationships because we fail to persevere through the uncomfortable yet redemptive work of growth.

Let us remember: marriages can and should be joyful. Christ calls us to love each other as He has loved us, with compassion, with sacrifice, and with mercy.

Reflection Questions:

  1. In what ways can your love for your spouse mirror Christ’s love more closely?

  2. Are there areas in your heart where pride or unforgiveness may be blocking intimacy?

  3. How can reflecting on Christ’s love for you reshape the way you relate to your partner?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for showing us the perfect example of love—selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. Help me to love my spouse as You have loved me. Where there is frustration, give me patience. Where there is offence, help me to forgive. Teach me to see my spouse through Your eyes and to commit daily to love, even when it is hard. May our marriage reflect Your glory and become a testimony of grace, healing, and joy.
In Your holy name, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 11: Help! I Am A Worrier.

-
Image
Help! I Am A Worrier. Author : Sharon Campbell-Danvers, Shepherdess, Educator Theme : Contentment in Christ. Finding peace and joy in God regardless of circumstances Peace of mind is a valuable commodity that cannot have a price tag placed on it. If worrying was a product, I would be rich.  Peace of mind is precious and closely aligned with our mental health and well-being. Truth be told, so many things seek to distract us from what is truly important and what gives us true peace. This is a struggle for me. I need a piece of peace! A big slice. Whopper version, supersized. Women are confronted with many issues that impact their peace of mind. The woman with the issue of blood was in a deep place for twelve years (Mark 5:25-34). Mary and Martha watched their brother die and wept (John 11:1-44). The woman at the well was searching for deeper meaning in her life without even knowing it until she came in contact with Jesus (John 4:1-26). Hannah was troubled at home and could find no ...
Read more

January 3: Trust the Plan

-
Image
Trust the Plan Theme : Trusting God's timing and purpose in your life. Author : Dr. Terry-Ann Robinson, Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church   For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11   I must admit I don't like waiting or uncertainty. I am one of those people who make a list for everything, and then I have a list to keep track of my list. I work very strictly with time, and I mentally take quite a few "chill pills" to control my emotions when things don't go according to plan. I have gotten better over the years, but my "chill pills" are still needed. For some time now, I have been asking God to show me His plan for my life. I want a glimpse of the plan. Instead of showing me the details of His plan, God responds with Jeremiah 29:11, saying He knows the plan.   But Lord, I want to know the plan too.   Why can't you just tell me the ...
Read more

March 16 Anxious but Anchored

-
Image
Carol Nyack Shepherdess Cayman Islands Conference of SDA Theme: Trusting God when anxiety creeps in . It was a cool February evening, and I was reaching the end of my rope in more ways than one. I was partially laid up with a broken ankle, having just shattered my beautiful flowerpot. At the same time, vacuuming, and then, minutes later, discovered that my unlocked car had been ransacked during the night. I glanced at my husband resting on the sofa. He remained unbothered by my recounting of events. I then contacted our older son. While on the phone, my husband calmly said, "Ask him to come take me to the hospital." There was no complaint of pain, no urgency in his voice—just a quiet request. At this point, I knew prayer was more important than questioning.  Our son arrived, and just as my husband turned to kiss me and leave, I grabbed him to pray. On the way to the hospital, things took a drastic do...
Read more