What credit is it to you?

In Ephesians 5, husbands and wives are given very different - yet complimentary - instructions on how to act in marriage. Wives are called to submit and respect their husbands, and husbands are implored to love their wives like Christ loved the Church, giving himself up for her. Why does God direct each spouse differently? Each spouse is commanded to do what does NOT come naturally. Speaking generally, women are more nurturing, more loving. They are more proficient at fostering relationships. Men on the other hand, their world is built on respect and appreciation for accomplishments and achievements. God tells each of us to walk a mile in the other spouse’s shoes, to see your relationship through their eyes. We are called to understand what makes him or her tick, and to encourage them in the way they need to be spiritually and emotionally fed. Consider Luke 6:32-34: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. What God is saying here is that there is no credit given for what is easy! Loving our enemies, blessing those who curse us, and giving generously not expecting repayment is hard. Paul’s words in Ephesians 5 take the same concept and apply it to marriage. When we attempt to see things from our spouse’s point of view and meet their unique needs we gain empathy, and become more compassionate. God gives us these directives because he knows that when we stretch, when we go outside our comfort zone is when we grow spiritually and emotionally. John F. Kennedy understood this when he declared we were ramping up our space program to go to the moon:
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” Are you willing to accept the challenge? Are you unwilling to postpone taking it on? Do you intend to win, to love your spouse in all the ways they need to be fulfilled? Obviously communication is key, but so is the motivation, the WANT to keep learning. So, use the best of your energies and skills, and dig deep, never assuming you know your spouse well enough; there is always more to learn. The other reason God commands us to do what is not in our nature, is that it is humbling, and God likes nothing more than a humble heart. Swallow your pride and accept that your way is not always the way, and remember Jesus’ words in John 14:6: I am the way How do we walk His way in terms of our marriages? Be more loving, generous, compassionate and forgiving! And be grateful; give thanks that God has put your spouse in your life to challenge you, to help you grow... and to help you become more like His son Jesus.

http://www.upliftingmarriage.com/12-marathon-blog-challenge/