CURRENT SERIES TITLE "Happy Homes & Happy Living"
Lesson # 8
The Christian Husband

We come today to a consideration of those qualities which make a man a Christian husband, and thus help to provide for a happy home. I want all of you men who are listening to me to give close attention to what I am saying, for it is scriptural and right.

In the New Testament, the responsibility of the wife can be summed up by one word, "submission." Likewise, the responsibility of the husband can be reduced to one word, "love." I should like to read for you from the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it" (verse 25). This not only sets forth the command to "love" but likewise shows the degree of that love¾it is to be as Christ loved the church.

The church was precious unto Christ. He showed His deep affection for it by purchasing it with His own blood. It was thus dearer to him than even life itself. As you look at your com­panion today, do you recall the tender words of your wooing and courtship days? Do you recall the sweet sentiments you uttered? Do you remember the day you stood beside each other to make your mutual vows and you promised to "love, honor and cherish" her as long as you lived? I should like to ask you if you have fulfilled that promise. Has your love become mere routine? Is home just a place to eat and sleep, or are you still enjoying the pleasure of being in the company of each other after all the years that have gone by?

I am not so foolish or ignorant as to think that true love is manifest always in the thrill that comes with contemplation of approaching marriage. After the honeymoon days are past, we settle down to the task of living, and that requires effort and concentration upon such matters as making the pay check cover all of the cost of housekeeping. But I still insist that if we husbands would recognize just a few simple facts, we could make life much better for ourselves and those with whom we live.

Christ didn't love the church for just a few days or a few min­utes. He still loves it. And we should follow the example which He has set with regard to our domestic and conjugal love. When you were courting the girl who has since become your wife, you drove up to the door and escorted her out to the car, and drove to the park, or took a joyride, simply because you wanted to be in her presence. How long has it been since you said to your wife, "Listen, dear, I want you to forget all
about cooking a meal to­night. You be ready and when I get home we'll go for a little ride and drop in to some nice place for a bite to eat. That way you'll not have to stand over the hot stove or do the dishes afterwards." Better go a little easy on that, men, unless you want your wife to faint!

Have you brought home a box of chocolates lately? You used to do that when you called! Remember? And don't forget that wife of yours is living a pretty humdrum existence. Life must be fairly monotonous. You are out and gone during the day. She has the same routine, sees the same faces, goes over the same rooms with the same dust cloth, cooks on the same stove with the same utensils, serves luncheon on the same table with the same dishes, and sees the same four walls every day. I'd like to suggest that you have a date with your wife to take her out to dinner some evening. It might help to make your home a happy home!

The Bible teaches plainly that men ought to love their wives enough to die for them. I believe most of the men I know would do that. I feel confident that if a marauding enemy came and threatened the life of your dear ones you'd go to any length to protect them. You'd not stand around and see your wife suffer at the hand of some fiend without doing your best to save and protect her. That would be big! you'll be better off to do what He recommends.

I read again, "He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church." That gives us an idea of our responsibility toward our companions; we are to nourish them and cherish them. To nourish one means to provide for his temporal welfare. That includes food, clothing, shelter and all that goes to make this life worthwhile. To cherish one signifies the possession of deep affection for that person. Thus,
externally and internally, I must show my love for my wife. I must manifest care for her daily existence, and in my heart my inmost thought must be directed to making her life with me as pleasant and cheerful and happy as possible.

The apostle sums up this whole relationship by saying, "Never­theless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband" (Ephe­sians 5:3). In order to accomplish this, the wife should conduct herself so that she deserves and merits the love of a good husband. It is impossible to love that which is unlovely. If a wife ceases to keep herself attractive, if she becomes careless about her person, if she is slovenly, sloppy and
indifferent, she will gradually kill the respect of her husband. She should seek to be as neat, tidy, kind and gracious as possible. She may not have good furniture, the rugs may be threadbare and the clothing limited, but she can at least keep clean. My mother used to say in the days when we were poverty-stricken and hard run, "We have to wear patched clothes, children, but we can at least be clean. Clothes cost money, but soap and water are cheap."

And the wife can only reverence a husband who deserves rev­erence! I sometimes wonder why and how women can show as deep respect as they do for some men. They are forced to breathe the odor of foul tobacco breath which is sickening. Many men who are polite enough away from home to ask if smoking is offensive, do not hesitate at home to strew tobacco ashes all over the house. And the wife has to go about, cleaning up the mess which is made. Some men come home with the nauseating odor of liquor pervading the pure atmosphere of the home, and they expect a wife who was reared in a dainty atmosphere to respect someone who smells like a sour grog shop or polluted distillery. In the name of common sense, men, act like MEN, and then you can begin to deserve and we believe you'll receive the reverence of those who love you.

Lesson #9: "Love Your Wives" will follow in the next mailing.
Lessons From Yesterday" is compiled by Dwain R. Stoops

If you have comments, please contact: dstoops@msn.com

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