One of the books I'm currently reading is, Love and Respect, by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I'd just like to write a few words on how much this book has already affected my life in hopes of bringing others in contact with the simple and truth-filled message that underlies marital bliss!Dr. Eggerichs simply writes from his experience as both a counselor and husband, basing his thoughts on Ephesians 5:33 and how simple obedience to this familiar passage has profound effects in any relationship, especially a marriage. He observes that women are designed to love naturally and men are designed to respect naturally, but to meet each others' deepest need (which happens to be love for women and respect for men) we must step out of what comes "naturally" and simply shift our focus. Wives obey the Lord's design in their marriage when they practice unconditionally respecting their husbands, and husbands follow the Lord's command by unconditionally loving their wives.
After dealing in the first few chapters with common misconceptions and concerns of following these principles, Eggerichs goes into practical ways to show the most respect and love to one's spouse. I am just now getting into the more practical application section, but my small efforts to show Grady more respect (as opposed to only giving him the love that I can express so naturally as a woman) have had the most grand effects on our relationship already, boosting it from the "really good" category to the "wow this is amazing!" category! (Of course, Grady's efforts to be more loving to me, creating a true reciprocity, are what really make things wonderful! But don't be discouraged if your spouse isn't enthusiastic about changing, the book is full of examples of one spouse changing by loving or respecting more and the other spouse naturally responding! It's amazing!)
I just couldn't help but share the good news of the simple message this book has to bring to couples in hopes that it will transform many other marriages into the "wow this is amazing!" category too. God has put such a design into our hearts that it's just phenominal the blessings that come out of obeying his words. It's such a good feeling to know we can give each other what is the most important and not waste our efforts on what doesn't even matter to the other, or only half hits the target. Marriage can be heaven on earth and let's not settle for anything less!
2 comments:
I love the encouragement. Marriage is always a hot topic. My dad is a newly wed of three months and was giving me his big take on marriage the other day. I had to remind him I had been married almost three years and his less than 90 day marriage hadn't even been long enough for a jar of peanut butter to expire. Alas, it's not always how long you are married, it's how deep you allow the commitment to convict you. Love it!
It is a good book, eh? Such a simple message from God with such a profound impact. I hope you continue to have the "wow this is great!" marriage you've been able to discover. May God be glorified!
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