The wife and her value.

The Wife:
Many times I have posted about the relationship between man and woman as husband and wife.
Many times I have posted openly about the Unconditional Love that I have for my wife and how I express that.
I have received recurring communications from other peoples wives about how "their husbands don't treat them as precious." For a world view this is the normal, almost acceptable. But for the Christian husband and wife it is not only unacceptable, but it violates the precious comparison between "Christ and His bride (the church). Biblical marriage between a man and woman carries the same configuration of relationship as Christ and His bride. Nothing else in the Bible is given this incredible honor and responsibility as a man and woman in a Christian marriage.
With Christian marriages going south as much as secular marriages, or in some cases a higher percentage, what is wrong?
With Christian marriages on the down swing how does this effect Christ and His bride in the spirit realm?
We all know that for many things on earth there is a "type" in the heavens/spirit realm. Christ and His bride in the spirit realm and man and wife here on earth. Are they tied together by divine decree? Does the failure of marriages in the earthly realm warn us of the condition in the spirit realm? Is Christ and His bride suffering the same breakdown for the same reasons?
Lets look at several reasons for Christ and His bride being misrepresented as is a man and a woman in marriage.
Christ is the groom, His bride the church.
How does Christ treat His bride? Ephesians 5:25b "Husbands, so love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it."
He literally died for "His bride the church". He laid down His life to take ownership of His bride body, soul, and spirit. He did this out or love by extreme sacrifice for (us) His brides "total" good. This "total" good was both in the now, and in the forever. Our eternal good. Now I am not just talking about "for our best welfare", but for our "eternal good". We know that only God is good, so we can understand the good that only God is becomes our (His Brides) treatment by Christ our Groom. Unconditionally Loving good. We are treated this way not because of merit but because of Unconditional Love.
How does this "good" treatment relate to His bride the church?
Lets see:
He gave His life for us His bride........greatest blessing/miracle ever.
He meets all our needs.
He heals us.
He restores our soul.
He turns the evil worked against us into good.
He promises us spiritual gifts.
He endues us with power. (For those who will seek/tarry after the Holy Spirit)
He intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father.
He is tender to us (even when we deserve worse.)
He comforts us.
He rejoices over us.
He reveals Himself to us.
He gives us hope and the unending example to follow and how to express Unconditional Love.
The list goes on and on but by now you see that being part of His bride is to receive of His "goodness",
So if we His bride are this "precious", and this marriage of Christ and His believers are compared to the marriage of a man and a woman, then how precious should our wives be to us, their husbands?
Here in is the problem with marriages both religious and secular. We do not as "believers" transfer that Unconditional Love that we experience from our Groom to our wives.
Here are some reason we as men fail:
Ephesians 5:28
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Colossians 3:19
Husbands, Love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
1 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.
Here is a good scriptural basis for a "self analysis" of our treatment of our wives and women to start with.
Do you love your wife like your own body? She knows if you do or not. They can tell just by the way you treat them against how you treat yourself. Here is a piece of Truth that sets free: Just ask her!
I bet in many cases the amount of money spent by the husband on toys outshines the amount of money spent on the things she needs to take care of the husband and the living quarters.
What about the husbands conversation with the wife? She doesn't think like a man so it's easy to see that she may not have the same thought patterns as the husband. She thinks as a woman, that's why you married her. She's different by God's design so that the two of you being united can complete each other and become one. Is your conversations a always "filled with grace?" Grace being Unconditional Love, unmerited favor, patience? Or is it critical, insulting, or abusive? Maybe your conversation is neither. Maybe it doesn't tear down nor build up. That's just as bad. Women are sensitive as to "how you talk" to them. Actions, demeanor, tone, and temperance speak louder than words, and if it doesn't edify then it rebuked. "Be ye not bitter against them!" Think before you speak, remember that the tongue "is unruly" and can shipwreck a relationship quickly.
"Dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel."
Hmmm! That's real wisdom there. "According to knowledge" didn't realize till now that this could mean that if you don't then you must be "unwise"? Maybe ignorant? I don't know what do you think?
"Giving honor to the wife", wow.......no wondering about what that means. A woman that is honored knows that she is treasured, respected, "precious."  Now that kind of treatment sets the wife free to "be in subjection to her husband"and builds up the marriage with love and appreciation.
Ever think why God's Word "commands" the husband to love the wife but only commands the wife to "be in subjection"? As we stated before: if the husband loves his wife with Unconditional Love in all his "thoughts, words, and deeds", then his wife will be set free to submit and then Unconditionally Love him back. They become one in spirit and in flesh. This is so powerful that they, in their Unconditional Love for one another show forth Christ and His bride, His church and how that Unconditional Love can work both in the spirit real and here on earth.
God is glorified through this kind of living and loving.
Regardless where you are starting in this application as a husband the time to make changes is now. The longer the wife is scorned through bad treatment, course language, or rough joking, the longer it will take to win her trust back and resolve the injuries. But be consistent! When you start pray for grace and rely on the Holy Spirit to give you a right heart, mind and tongue to carry out this task. Restore you marriage before you ruin it, if that's where you are now.
Remember that you can always get help from your wife by actually asking her to "make you aware" when you are falling away from this goal.
Pray for a dream or vision, or a revelation of the Love of Christ to help encourage and guide you. This actually happened to me when I asked God to teach me about Unconditional Love. But I sought it with all my heart for a long time, continually.
Here's what happened:
I was given a vision of the last supper, and the scriptures came alive.
John 13:23
"Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved"

As I looked upon this vision I also felt the situation in it's spiritual significance. I looked upon James "the beloved" laying on Jesus bosom and Jesus went about the business at hand talking with His disciples. The moment was very tender and none of the other disciples even noticed this act of love. As I studied this vision I couldn't understand the whole significance of what it meant so I asked the Holy Spirit what it meant. He showed me that Jesus was showing His Love and acceptance of John and his expression of closeness by letting him experience the safe haven of True Love. How that True Love is not ashamed to receive any gesture of it's (moral) expression, and offers no resistance to it. In fact the person showing this tender and deep love could take confidence in the fact that the expression is accepted entirely and without resistance. 

Then He said "so it should be with your wife". The thought then came to me that my wife, (your wife), should not be afraid, ashamed, or other wise redirected to say or express anything to her husband that will be met with a withdrawing or negative attitude, action, or word. She should feel that on any level that I (you) are a safe haven for her thoughts, emotions, questions, dreams, needs, and the cares she expresses with an true interest in her expressions. Like John lying on Jesus bosom. Completely safe, loved, undeterred from his expression of closeness and knowing that he will in no wise receive rejection on any level now or later.

Well husbands the ball is in your court.

"For the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit".

"For we have all received of His goodness."

Maybe having received of both of the above we could "meet" some of it out to the next best gift that God gave us after Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Women are a precious gift and should be so treated.

Tell them you Love them.

Kiss them often and tenderly.

A hug now and then during the day won't hurt a thing.

Constantly tell them you Love them with all your sincerity, passion, words, and then show them how special they are in your deeds towards them.

Above all pray for them, respect them, honor them.

Love

J&E