~ Love – Lead – Live ~
Love ~ “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for her, that He
might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He
might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as
their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but
nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the
church. For we are members of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’”
(Ephesians 5:25-31). In
other words strive to imitate the pattern you have been given in the life of
Christ.
Lead ~ “This is a faithful
saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A
bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate,
sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine,
not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his
children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to
rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a
novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as
the devil. Moreover he must have a good
testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare
of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:1-7). A man should lead his family with love and respect.
Live ~ “But concerning
brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves
are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the
brethren who are in all Macedonia. But
we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your
own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you
may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack
nothing” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12). In other words live a life of integrity and
honesty in all your dealings.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
