OK, ok, ok... This is NOT the kinky blog that the title may have misled some of you to think it was. Sorry...or not.
A recent comment on a previous blog posting got me to thinking. My thoughts are concerning the marriage relationship. All you atheists, agnostics, humanists, backsliders and Satanists, just bear with me or go somewhere else for a while. I'm going to wax pastoral. So, buckle up for some "Bible thumpin'".
Recent events in our local congregation as well as other unrelated and (to some) totally disjointed information have caused me to take another long, hard look at relationships, including, but not limited to, the matrimonial sort.
The Apostle Paul had some very relevant things to say about relationships. He set forth a pattern for successful relationships in every area of our lives. In fact, the compares the marriage relationship to the union that exists between Jesus Christ and His Church. Christ was a self-sacrificing man who was motivated by a fervent love for His people, humanity, in fact. His demands are stringent. His demand for loyalty is only superseded by His own fierce loyalty to His beloved. No price was too great to pay for her; no sacrifice too painful to endure to win her undying love, obedience and adoration. She, on the other hand, in the light of such (dare I say it?) redeeming love, cannot but submit herself in total, obedient abandon to Him. Paul put it this way, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Following short on the heels of that rather inflammatory statement is another one even more politically incorrect. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." One woman eloquently put it this way. If the husband truly loves the wife as love is described in this verse, the wife will have absolutely no qualms about submitting herself in every way to that kind of man. It would be a privilege.
Don't get stupid on me, now. Both elements must be present for this work: self-sacrificing love that wants only the very best for the other party and obedient submission in the light of such profound affection. I'm not even going to touch the subject of abuse and domineering behavior in this post. The evident exceptions do not need elaboration.
This handy little formula works in other relationships as well. A pastor and his congregation can function smoothly this way. Dare I insinuate that even an employer and his employees can function smoothly this way? A teacher with his/her students. A civil leader and his constituents. The list could go on and on. In essence, self-sacrificing love is pretty hard to resist. Even the hardest nuts have cracked under its weighty presence. Would you at least be willing to try it? Think about it?
Thanks for stopping by. ;)