Proverbs 31: 10b-12 & 29-31a New International Version (NIV) 10 b A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 29 Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. 30 For a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
A few devotionals back I cited the best decision of my life: accepting God’s free gift of grace and receiving salvation. The next best thing proved to be listening to the Holy Spirit’s direction in finding my wife.
What makes her special? She’s a Proverbs 31 wife. I don’t suggest that our marriage resembles the 50s television shows like Ozzie and Harriet or Leave It to Beaver. We have our ups and downs just like every other couple. What distinguishes ours, however, is mutual recognition of what makes a successful relationship: I love my wife more than I love myself, and I love Jesus more than I love my wife. The priority is Jesus, my spouse, and I, in this exact order. She feels the same.
I don’t know a simpler principle to preserve and protect a marriage. It’s advice that I’ve passed on to several young couples about to tie the knot. One young lady who received it about 25 years ago informed me just last year how much it has meant to her. She still has the letter that I wrote to her.
You may be a newlywed, a couple of old-timers or somewhere in-between in the number of years you’ve been married. Alternately, you may be single. I have some good news! This principle applies not only to marriage, but to every relationship that one may have throughout a lifetime.
I didn’t come up with this idea. Jesus said it best in Matthew 22:37-39: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.” This not-so-secret principle is the key to all successful relationships, and especially to marriages.