CHERISH YOUR WIFE

By Pastor James Fadele

Ephesians 5:25-31 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. 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: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

HOW TO HONOR YOUR WIFE FROM GOD’S VIEW POINT

An English Professor once wrote “A Woman Without Her Husband is Nothing” and gave it to his students. The men rewrote it as “A Woman, WITHOUT HER MAN, is Nothing”. The women rewrote the sentence as “A Woman, WITHOUT HER, Man is Nothing”

THE CORRECT WAY:

MEN: “A Woman, Without Men, Are Less Than They Should Be”

WOMEN: “A Woman, Without Her Man’s Support, Are Less Than They Should Be”

Women are very complex and intricate yet God asks you to nourish and cherish her. Your ignorance of digestion has not prevented you from eating. Your ignorance of how a car engine works has not prevented you from driving a car. Therefore your ignorance of understanding women SHOULD NOT PREVENT YOU FROM LOVING HER.
Beloved, you cannot understand your wife. PERIOD! Women are very different from men. There was a time I noticed that my wife’s gym shoes wear getting worn out and so out of the goodness of my heart I went out and bought her a very expensive pair of gym shoes. But when I presented it to her she said to me “Are you saying that I am fat???” YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND WOMEN!

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him

For every Mr. Tortoise, there is a Mrs. Tortoise. To be alone means a negation of actual living. It also means “incompleteness”. God decided to do something about it and so he fashioned a help meet for man.

Woman is already complete. It was the man that needed help. The wife God created for man is not a servant or domestic helper but a COMPLETER – one who affords “relief” to a man in danger; a Savior with a small “s”. The man is INEFFECTIVE without the help “MEET” for him.

Genesis 2:21-23 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

God put Abraham into a deep sleep while he created woman. MAY GOD GIVE YOU REST!!! Nothing can fill that vacuum except the woman God made for you. God who is Jehovah Elohim designed woman “BESIDE” him (not behind or in front of him). God “FASHIONED” woman – a detail required to build a city. “PERFECTED” by God. God who is Jehovah Elohim and the Master Builder “BUILT” this architectural masterpiece more precious than gold and silver. It’s no wonder that when a man sees a woman dressed nice, and speaks nice, he may begin to drool.

1st Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

God says in the bible that “My people perish from lack of knowledge”. Dwell with your wife according to knowledge SO THAT YOUR PRAYERS WILL NOT BE HINDERED. Beloved, the way you treat your wife affects answers to your prayers. To “honor” means to value and treasure something. It means to develop a feeling for it. Many men love their cars more than their wives!

WEAKER VESSEL: Something that is fragile; A valuable craftwork. A jewelry of unequal value, for example, a 1960 Porsche is an anitique. Weaker vessel means “precious” and “beautiful” – something you CHERISH. It means something you put on display.

Your wife is not someone your “outlaws” should abuse or disrespect!!! She should be spotlighted and treasured. God built this gallery for you. SEE HER AS GOD SEES HER!!! If a wealthy master gives you his dog to care for in his absence how will you treat it? When you appreciate the gift and the giver then God the owner of this artwork calls you a caretaker of his gallery. IT MUST NOT GATHER DUST!!!

Your wife will respond to you if you are the type of man that honors and values her. Give a woman a seed and she’ll give you a child. If you abuse her, they can talk more than you. Love is a verb – an “action” word. When you love your wife she’ll respond to you. TRUE LOVE HAS NO REASON. For God so loved the world (NO REASON).

You are to love your wife “as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it” God understands your wife and that was why He gave her to you SO THAT SHE CAN HELP YOU TO FULFILL YOUR DESTINY. Love is not a feeling but a fruit of the Spirit. Appreciate, affirm, empathize with her. Open the door for her. Take her on a date.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

You are commanded to love your wife. Women are not commanded to love their husbands only to respect them. Women need to be affirmed. Say things to your wife like “If I had to do it over again, I’d marry you again”. Agape your wife even as Christ “Agaped” you. When you were at your worst and denied God of intimacy, HE LOVED YOU ENOUGH TO SAVE YOU!!! Love your wife more than your car or your remote control.

Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

To “nourish” means to be at peace with her. It means to be devoted to her; To build her up. Greet her with a holy kiss. Be patient with her. Bear her burdens. Serve her. Wash her feet. Stop judging her. Forebear her. Speak well of her. Comfort her. Most important of all ASK HER HOW YOU CAN NOURISH HER. Honor her by asking for forgiveness. Remember that when you were in courtship with her, she was “the sugar in your tea”.

To “cherish” means “to brood over”; to protect her from the elements. A fire fighter used a stick to push a burnt bird out of a fire only to find several chicks alive under her! This bird “brooded” over the chicks protecting them from the fire and ultimately died for them! God is asking you to “brood” over your wife. Cherish her. Ask the manufacturer how to do so. His grace is sufficient for you. There was a man who fixed a car for someone by just touching a few buttons under the hood. He charged a thousand dollars ($1000) and was challenged by the car owner and asked why such a high price. This man simply told the car owner that price was for “knowing what buttons to touch”. Beloved, there are some things about your spouse that ONLY GOD (THE MANUFACTURER) can touch to make him/her an ideal spouse. GO TO THE MANUFACTURER!!!

Genesis 2:22-23 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Adam was in love. It’s no wonder when she brought the forbidden fruit to him, he ate it. He responded to the woman God created for him by saying: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. As a man, you are the Priest of your home and should protect this precious gift from God.

THE NEEDS OF MEN

SEXUAL FULFILLMENT: The man is constantly supplying seed and they have to “let it out”. Women, PLEASE DON”T CLOSE THE DOOR. Men need sex. Give it to them even before they ask.

RECREATIONAL FULFILLMENT: Sit with him when he is watching sports. If you don’t another woman will be interested in that game he watches.

AN ATTRACTIVE WIFE: Sisters, make yourself “chaseable”. Wear sexy lingerie when the kids are not around. Let him drool. Make yourself look desirable without anything hanging loose with no manicure or pedicure. He may be spending a lot of time “in his office” because of the woman there who dress attractively.

EGO: Men are looking for women who will affirm them. That’s what he needs. Men have egos. Strike that ego. Make him feel good. Admire and respect him. Say things to him like “You’re an amazing man of God”. Do these things before another woman takes him away from you.

Marriage is an “empty” tank. IT IS WHAT YOU PUT IN THAT YOU GET OUT. If you put in love, that’s what you’ll get back. Garbage in, garbage out. Love and romance should be what you bring to the marriage. Give sexual intimacy if you want it back. If you don’t praise, appreciate, and cherish her, she’ll feel used and abused like a prostitute. Stroke her hair and/or her back. Hold her “just for the sake of it”. She is a responder. HOW IS YOUR MARRIAGE TANK?
Your wife is a special “gift”. On a barometer of one to ten (one being hell and ten being heaven), if you score less than a ten then YOU HAVE WORK TO DO!!! Your wife presents you with a chance to cherish the gift God has given to you. You must see her as a delicate piece of china, a precious work or art designed by God to balance you. A person who is strong when you are weak; One who completes you. YOUR MARRIAGE WILL NOT FAIL! IT’LL BE SWEETER AND SWEETER! GOD WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO LOVE YOUR SPOUSE! Let us pray…

PRAYER

Father Lord, make my marriage a role model. Where there is pain, let there be joy. Anywhere the wine has run out, perform that miracle you performed at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.

If you are reading this and you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and personal prayer and would like to do so, say this short prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe you died for my sins and rose again. I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and make me whole. I want to serve you from this day forward.

The Lord gave the word; great is the company of those that published it (Psalm 68:11)