Pleasing Your Spouse
“But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-34)
Our passage contrasts the lifestyles of a single Christian versus one who is married. A single person cares about pleasing the Lord, while a married person cares about pleasing his or her spouse.
This does not mean people should not marry. God ordained marriage in all its aspects. This includes sexual activity: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) and child-rearing: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:” (Genesis 1:27-28)
Psalm 127:3-5 also says that kids are a blessing: “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:”
Paul also said a minister ideally should be married, “…the husband of one wife,” (1 Timothy 3:2) and “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;” (1 Timothy 3:4) He also did not say married Christians did not care about pleasing the Lord. Rather, he said that unmarried people don’t have someone else to think about besides the Lord, whereas married people do.
If you’re happily married, you may have good advice to give, but God’s word has the best advice. Our passage says, “…how he may please his wife.” and “…how she may please her husband.” The point is that if you are married, strive to please your spouse. Just as striving to please the Lord is important to a happy Christian life, striving to please your spouse is important to a happy marriage.
Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Jesus loved and He gave. Husbands, let love be your motivation. Show your love by giving. Not necessarily pricey gifts. Give her compliments. Say “I love you” often. Say “I’m sorry” when you should. Give her courtesy. Open doors for her. Let her feel important, because she is. Put away the TV, phone, or laptop when she’s talking. Give her service. Laundry. Dishes. Diaper changes.
If you’re a cop, your spouse is your first priority, not your fellow officers. Cops can be a tight-knit group, it’s true, but they didn’t take you for better or for worse. Your spouse did. Your fellow officers don’t take care of the house and kids while you’re chasing bad guys. Your spouse does. If you are a cop, or in any job for that matter that requires more commitment than 9 to 5 Monday through Friday and your spouse supports you, you’ve got someone special. Your spouse deserves extra consideration.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” The threefold cord is God, the man, and the woman in marriage. By God’s help and grace, marriage can be God-honoring, strong, and loving. Most importantly, the Bible talks about knowing Jesus as Saviour and eternity in heaven. To see how to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 8/4/2023
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822