Love and Respect

Dr. Emmerson and Sarah Eggerichs came to Central on Oct. 4 and 5 to present the Biblical approach to marriage based on Ephesians 5:22-33 - namely, that Love AND Respect are to abound in marriage. Here are some further thoughts and discoveries from the conference:
  • The way men and women interract is not wrong...just different.
  • The crazy cycle: When wives feel unloved, they respond disprectfully. When husbands feel disrespected, they respond unlovingly.
  • Husbands breaking the cycle: "When you say (or do) that, I feel disprespected. Have I done or said something unloving to cause you to respond in that way?"
  • Wives breaking the cycle: "When you say (or do) that, I feel unloved. Have I done or said something disrespectful to cause you to respond in that way?"
  • Jesus is fixated upon each of His believers in every little thing accomplished for Him.
  • This means that although we may not feel like treating our spouses well - husbands loving wives, wives respecting husbands - it really doesn't matter. What matters is that, in obedience and reverence for Christ, we love and respect our spouses for His sake.
  • In effect, He is standing behind a wife or husband encouraging the other to love or respect regardless of their behavior (excluding abuseful situations, of course).
  • Both love and respect are to be given unconditionally.
  • The state of marriages in our world today is NOT a moral issue - it is a faith issue. Worse, it is a sin issue.

The book is great, the conference is better. We look forward to starting a small group early next month to continue the conversations.

God be praised!

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