Men SHOULD love...

[Depleted]

About once a month some guy comes on here to tell us women how we should act. The latest is about if women should preach in church. Granted, it's a 10 month old post, but someone didn't let that sleeping dog lie, so I'm going to go all girly on you guys, like some of you guys like to go all guyly on us gals, and say the obvious. (Tongue partially in cheek. Tongue not completely in cheek, merely because I am curious if you guys ever argue or suss this one out.)

Eph. 5:[FONT=&quot]25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]30 because we are members of his body.[/FONT]

So, that's what you're supposed to do as a guy, just as women are supposed to submit.

How do you do that? And do you even study in depth as to what that means before you do it?

Tables turned. For once I want to see guys argue over something only related to guys. (And really, I want to see if any of the guys have thought enough to come to conclusions what that means and what it doesn't mean, instead of too often telling what others should be doing.)

And, me being me and all, don't be surprised if I join in the conversation occasionally, to tell what I'm thinking about your response. This one is in view of the women, so go for it. How do you love women like Jesus loves his church?

 

[Blain]

Well I suppose for me I am a gentleman at heart and how God changed me in coming to him how can I look down on anyone as if I stand above the rest? There are only a few things that really set me off as I am not an angry person and one of them is in fact threads of which you speak of where men seem to think themselves better than women. Women are not lesser beings and are to be treated as equals with love respect and honor.

 

[kaijo]

About once a month some guy comes on here to tell us women how we should act. The latest is about if women should preach in church. Granted, it's a 10 month old post, but someone didn't let that sleeping dog lie, so I'm going to go all girly on you guys, like some of you guys like to go all guyly on us gals, and say the obvious. (Tongue partially in cheek. Tongue not completely in cheek, merely because I am curious if you guys ever argue or suss this one out.)

Eph. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,30 because we are members of his body.

So, that's what you're supposed to do as a guy, just as women are supposed to submit.

How do you do that? And do you even study in depth as to what that means before you do it?

Tables turned. For once I want to see guys argue over something only related to guys. (And really, I want to see if any of the guys have thought enough to come to conclusions what that means and what it doesn't mean, instead of too often telling what others should be doing.)

And, me being me and all, don't be surprised if I join in the conversation occasionally, to tell what I'm thinking about your response. This one is in view of the women, so go for it. How do you love women like Jesus loves his church?

Hopefully you are not implying that the guy who has got on your nerves, is an accurate representation of how all men think.

But the moral is pretty simple.

However a man treats his partner, he can expect to receive the same treatment from the Lord.

 

[Lucy-Pevensie]

I have to say I think there are some terrific chaps out there who do just that. Practise self-sacrifice for their women. Working long hours to provide for example. I know there some bad apples but there are a lot of terrific husbands and fathers around as well, who keep us going. The world would be boring without men.

 

[7seasrekeyed]

I have to say I think there are some terrific chaps out there who do just that. Practise self-sacrifice for their women. Working long hours to provide for example. I know there some bad apples but there are a lot of terrific husbands and fathers around as well, who keep us going. The world would be boring without men.

right

I figure it is the insecure and smaller minded 'chaps' that feel the need to try and make women 2nd class citizens

sadly, there are still men intimidated by women who are their 'own person'

I was brought up to be my 'own person'...by my father

 

[Depleted]

Well I suppose for me I am a gentleman at heart and how God changed me in coming to him how can I look down on anyone as if I stand above the rest? There are only a few things that really set me off as I am not an angry person and one of them is in fact threads of which you speak of where men seem to think themselves better than women. Women are not lesser beings and are to be treated as equals with love respect and honor.

Nah, you don't get off that easy. This really isn't about not expecting a woman to be less than a guy. This is about how to love the woman like the Lord loves the church.

Submit is easy. Love is harder.

And submit is easy for me, because hubby really does love me like Christ loves his church. So, when we have a choice to make, he hears what I think, and even if the final answer isn't exactly what I wanted, it is always what is best with me in mind before what he wants.

Meanwhile, he gets the hard end of this bargain. I merely have to submit. You've seen me at my low points. You've seen grumpy me. You've seen bullheaded me. Wouldn't it be hard to love someone like me all the time? And yet, that is the duty the Lord handed to men. Loving a wife is hard work. This is about loving her like Christ loves the church. And Christ loving the church is like Hosea loving Gomer.

 

[Depleted]

Hopefully you are not implying that the guy who has got on your nerves, is an accurate representation of how all men think.

But the moral is pretty simple.

However a man treats his partner, he can expect to receive the same treatment from the Lord.

I don't know the guy, and didn't have the nerve to step on. (I'm not a preacher, so don't really worry whether I should preach in church. I shouldn't. Not because I'm a woman, but because I'm not a preacher.) I'm truly asking guys how they handle this one. How do you love your wife, or any woman, like Jesus loves his church? How do you sanctify a wife? What does that mean, and how do you do it?

And truthfully, the moral isn't that simple. The church doesn't treat Jesus the way he should be treated, and yet Jesus doesn't treat the church like we treat him. So it isn't a tit for tat mentality.

 

[Depleted]

I have to say I think there are some terrific chaps out there who do just that. Practise self-sacrifice for their women. Working long hours to provide for example. I know there some bad apples but there are a lot of terrific husbands and fathers around as well, who keep us going. The world would be boring without men.

And, I'm hoping those chaps, (oh, that makes me feel so British using that word lol) will join in and tell how they do that.

 

[Depleted]

right

I figure it is the insecure and smaller minded 'chaps' that feel the need to try and make women 2nd class citizens

sadly, there are still men intimidated by women who are their 'own person'

I was brought up to be my 'own person'...by my father

I used to be 5' 11". And I worked with mostly guys. On a rare occasion, I could watch a guy look at me like I was a sequoia. They'd start at my feet and slowly work themselves up to my head, as if taking in this monstrosity of a tree. I am what I am. Was big. Now medium. It used to amuse me watching them try to figure me out, as if height was all that big an issue and the sum total of who I was.

Eventually, it's their problem, or it's not their problem. It was certainly never my problem. I was born to be tall. I was also born to be a woman. Didn't have much say in either, but never regretted either. So, if someone has a problem with women, it's just not my problem. Intimidation is something we choose for ourselves, not something someone else hands us.

I have met quite a few people who intimidated me as my first reaction. Then I realized it was my reaction, not them. And rechose based on the signals given. Because of that, I've become friends with most of the people who intimidated me. It usually worked out that their looks or their current mood when I met them was what intimidated me. If a 5'6" man can get over me being 5' 11", I certainly am not going to intimidate him further. I am big. I am gruff. But, after you get to know big and gruff you find out there is more to me than big and gruff.

When those guys got to my head, they tended to see a woman amused by them looking so hard. Nothing intimidating about someone chuckling over their shock. lol

 

[kaijo]

And truthfully, the moral isn't that simple. The church doesn't treat Jesus the way he should be treated, and yet Jesus doesn't treat the church like we treat him. So it isn't a tit for tat mentality.

Well, truthfully, the church is not of "one" mind as it currently stands. The church consists of many "members". So you cannot say that the church, as a whole, doesn't treat Jesus the way He should be treated.

There are members of the church who treat Him poorly. And in return, He causes them to "see" poorly...prohibiting His Light to completely illuminate their hearts and minds with peace and understanding. (i.e to be poor in peace and understanding).

And there are members of the church who treat Him as He desires to be treated. And He also treats them accordingly.

 

[Blain]

Nah, you don't get off that easy. This really isn't about not expecting a woman to be less than a guy. This is about how to love the woman like the Lord loves the church.

Submit is easy. Love is harder.

And submit is easy for me, because hubby really does love me like Christ loves his church. So, when we have a choice to make, he hears what I think, and even if the final answer isn't exactly what I wanted, it is always what is best with me in mind before what he wants.

Meanwhile, he gets the hard end of this bargain. I merely have to submit. You've seen me at my low points. You've seen grumpy me. You've seen bullheaded me. Wouldn't it be hard to love someone like me all the time? And yet, that is the duty the Lord handed to men. Loving a wife is hard work. This is about loving her like Christ loves the church. And Christ loving the church is like Hosea loving Gomer.

Well let me put this way. I love Stephanie just for who she is, regardless of her flaws or weaknesses in my eyes she is perfect just the way she is she never has to change for me and never has to prove her self to me in any way. I will go to the extreme of extremes for her I will suffer the worst kind of torture for her I will die for her if in some scenario in which we were both held captive and and I was given a choice to either cut off my arms and legs or watch her die I would not hesitate to do so.

And yeah there are of course going to be times when we get on each others buttons love is by no means perfect and it comes with pain and suffering heartache and hard times but I will always love her and no amount of any trials or arguments can change that because even if my love for her alone wasn't as strong as it is our love first founded on Christ. When we are able to be together and we get married I will never stop loving her even if she cheated on me which I know she wouldn't but even if she did I would not divorce her and I would love her just as much as before because that is how love works.

You think God wasn't hurt every time we rebelled and sinned against him? Even as Christians in a way we cheat on him by returning to our sinful habits and yet he loves us just as much as before and in his eyes we are still perfect and adored just for who we are. That is the kind of love I have for her and the kind of love I chase everyday to have for all other people no matter how far gone they are or how blood stained their souls. If I have to burn in the very fires of hell itself for the sake of only one lost soul no matter how dark their hearts no matter how blood stained their souls then without any hesitation I will do so because that is the kind of love I first saw in him and it became the kind of love that refuse to accept anything less of.

Love is far more than an emotion or a feeling it not simply that warm fuzzy fairy tale thing it is the fuel that makes a person go to that those extremes even if they never will have to got hat far it is love that makes them more than willing to do so. For me this is the love that have for her and for all others because he would be willing to go that far if he had too. Being a Christian is not simply a hobby and it affects all aspects of our life including how we treat women, without that kind of love in our hearts then we will never know how to truly love women or even how to truly love a s believer for that matter

 

[Depleted]

Well, truthfully, the church is not of "one" mind as it currently stands. The church consists of many "members". So you cannot say that the church, as a whole, doesn't treat Jesus the way He should be treated.

There are members of the church who treat Him poorly. And in return, He causes them to "see" poorly...prohibiting His Light to completely illuminate their hearts and minds with peace and understanding. (i.e to be poor in peace and understanding).

And there are members of the church who treat Him as He desires to be treated. And He also treats them accordingly.

Church is family made up of individuals. And real church is those the Father chose and Jesus got. None of us are prefect. Yet he loves us with the love of a new husband.