Don't Just Think of Him as Your Husband

Something was brought up in my Sunday School class this week that was a very good reminder. We were talking about speaking the truth in love, and more specifically, honest communication with our spouse. Except this one point reminded me not to think of my husband only as my spouse---he is my brother in Christ. I was asked something along these same lines in an interview before, regarding the value of a wife praying for her spouse as her brother in Christ.

How does that change things?

It really helps to put things into perspective. It is so easy to be selfish, even in my prayers for my husband. Sure, I can think that I am being helpful in my communication or in praying for his best, but when I limit his identity and vocation in being my husband, I can become consumed with how his spiritual growth is benefiting yours truly. Basically, I’m helping myself.

After all, he is to love me as Christ loves the church. His blessings are my blessings. His spiritual growth and fruitfulness benefit me. Remembering to intercede for him as my brother in Christ does help me to pray with an eternal perspective for God’s glory and my husband’s good. The fact is, Matt and I will not be married to one another in the new heaven and the new earth, but we will always be brother and sister in Christ. Praying with this in mind reiterates that Matt doesn’t belong to me; he belongs to God.

And I believe that praying in light of this truth ultimately helps me to be a better wife to him as well. I can pray knowing that even where I fail, God is always faithful. Where Matt fails, God is faithful. As we hold fast to our confession of hope together, our goal is to consummate our marriage to the ultimate Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. And we are privileged to be ambassadors of his gospel while living in the community of his church now.*

*Much of this post was taken from my interview with David Livernois for Credo Magazine. You can read the rest of the interview here.