Loving Your Husbands

““Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own? Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to get the dust out of your friend’s eye.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:3-5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

My sister and I made a vow a few years ago to pray for our husbands every Tuesday morning. This does not mean that I have never prayed for Mark before but I want to be more intentional. I know that it slips off the tip of my tongue to pray for my kids, my job, my ministry, my finances, even my myself. But I think we put our husbands on a pedestal and get disappointed when they are not perfect.

After a long, busy holiday week, I realized I skipped Tuesday prayer for Mark. But the words get stuck in my mouth and my mind...I realize that the enemy always makes my sins look smaller than Mark's. I have an amazing husband but I am always looking for that little piece of dust in his eye! The Bible says that I am a hypocrite. I have a huge log in my eye that I need to deal with.

No matter who you are or who you think you are, you have a log in your eye like me. You know how I know that? Jesus had to die for our wretched sins. Satan tries everyday to convince me that Mark is the problem and not me. In fact, the enemy tries to convince me that Mark and I are in a battle and not us against the enemy.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is so easy to love Mark and pray for him when I remember that he is a gift to me. When I stand before the throne one day, I know that God will talk with me about how I treated the precious gift that He gave me. What a waste of my breath when I try to stammer and explain that Mark was not always perfect and that he did not always make me happy.

I thought about this yesterday and realized that if my goal is to be more Christlike, I should take the towel from my waist and love like Jesus.

“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciplesʼ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I forget sometimes that Jesus did not feel like washing feet. He probably wanted to sit down and be served. But for the joy that was ahead, He loved the 12 men that God gifted him with, even one who would betray Him. He loved by putting His own desires in last place. That is a model to how the Lord wants me to love Mark. I need to remember that there will be a conversation one day and I want the Lord to say, "Well done with loving Mark."