“And I will require a penalty for your lifeblood; I will require it from any animal and from any human; if someone murders a fellow human, I will require that person’s life. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image.” (Genesis 9:5–6, CSB)
I will require a penalty for your lifeblood. While we take so much for granted these days, we should never take the sanctity of the life of our husband or wife lightly. God has a death penalty in place for those who would abuse and take the life of our spouse. He treasures them very highly, as should we.
When we think of how precious the life of our life companion is to God, it causes us to pause and ponder how we can honor this one whom God has united us with. How can we adore them and value them with the depth of importance God has placed on them?
Honor is a river that flows in abundance once released. From honor come love, devotion, and adoration. We prize, value, treasure and cherish our “other half” each day as a result of our respect for them. But how would we put such esteem into daily practice?
God surely wants us to hold our spouses in high value. That would start with the overflow of our hearts as heard in both what we say and how we speak to our mate. As Jesus said about each one of us, “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” (Luke 6:45, CSB)
Not only are our words powerful indicators of our feelings for our spouse, but so too are our actions. Just one look at our homes and we can tell whether we are honoring our spouse or not. As Solomon wrote so long ago, “Because of laziness the roof caves in, and because of negligent hands the house leaks.” (Ecclesiastes 10:18, CSB)
Bringing honor to our partner is a daily thing. And, to be honest, whether it flows or not is as natural as it’s source: our hearts. So, today, take a little time to evaluate how you are doing when it comes to honoring your life partner. Check your words and their tone. Look at your actions and your diligence. Hold their life precious.
Magnificent Marriage Mondays are helpful hints, clues, ideas, and solutions for the child of God who is looking for a spouse, in a relationship with someone, or are already married. Each post seeks to bring help, hope, and honesty to your life and make the rest of your life, the best of your life. They are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his 38 years, 5 months and 2 days experience with his wife, Melodee, who was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. He is currently seeking God’s will for his new life partner. He welcomes your comments below.
