Live with your wives in an understanding way…
and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life.
1 Peter 3:7
In these days of cell phones, tvs and other gadgets, we have become accustomed to looking at screens and not at faces. There is something to be said about looking into someone’s eyes. When your spouse is trying to talk to you, are you looking at your phone or busy doing something else? I know my husband and I are both guilty of it. The worst part is that we both know it is not respectful or honorable, but we sometimes do it anyway. Why in the world would we choose what is on our phone, computer or tv over the person we love?
Honor isn’t just a word. It’s an action. When we stop what we are doing and give our full attention to our spouse, we are honoring them. We are honoring not only what they have to say, but we are honoring who they are and their place in our life.
When you get married, you are united in ‘holy matrimony’. What does that even mean? It means that your marriage, your commitment has now been set apart from any other commitment as something that is sacred. In our marriages, we need to start thinking of our spouses as ‘holy’ or sacred. When you treat something as holy or sacred, the care and concern you take is top notch. You would never want anything to damage what is holy to you. The same should be said of your spouse.
Now for the hard part. What if your spouse does not honor you or treat you as something holy and to be cherished? In order for love to attempt to be rekindled, you will have to step out in faith and love through the hard times. Honor through the pain and yes, treat your spouse as holy. It sounds like insanity. It sounds out of this world, but our God is not of this world and He can change even the hardest heart. If you are reading this, God is working in your heart already and He wants you to step up. To go ‘all-in’. As these dares go on, they will get harder. You will be asked to do things that are not in your comfort zone. This is not just about your marriage, this is about you as well. We are not even halfway through The Love Dare. If you are thinking, ‘why bother’ or ‘I should just give up’, don’t. Satan would want nothing more than for you to do that. Do not let him win.
Today’s dare.
Choose a way to show honor and respect to your spouse that is above your normal routine. It may be holding the door for her. It might be putting his clothes away for him. It may be the way you listen and speak in your communication. Show your mate that he or she is highly esteemed in your eyes.
At the end of the day, answer these questions:
1. How did you choose to show honor?
2. What was the result?
3. What are some other ways you could demonstrate honor in the coming days?
4. What new thing did you learn (or relearn) about your spouse?
Congratulations! You have completed Day 15! Tomorrow’s dare is Love Intercedes.
