Love in the Sunset by kidultchia at www.sxc.hu
God created a marvelous being when he created woman. Men who stay frustrated with “complicated women,” often miss the beauty of the mystery and depth of women. God gave so much to this world when he created the feminine heart.
At the core of a woman’s soul is the desire to be loved, long for, and cherished. “The world kills a woman’s heart when it tells her to be tough, efficient, and independent.”¹ She was created for relationship and desires someone to protect and prize her highly. Women flourish when enveloped with safety and security!
Ruth was a beautiful woman open to all the dangers of her day. She had lost her husband. She chose to be faithful to her mother-in-law and to her God. She pictures the heart of many women when she says to Boaz, “spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer” (Ruth 3:9). Earlier Boaz had spoken of her coming to take refuge under the wings of God (2:12). He seeks her protection while she is in the fields from the young men. The context of the Old Testament involves the custom of the near kinsman redeemer who had the responsibility of providing for the widow, but Ruth’s statement is universal of wives. They want to have their husband’s protective wings and love spread over them.
Paul told husbands to “love their wives as their own bodies” and to “nourish and cherish” them (Eph. 5:28-29).
This is why husbands harm their wives so greatly when they fail to protect them.
We can fail to protect our wives when we . . .
- Give in to the world’s standards of beauty making our wives feel ugly!
- Allow others to gossip and tell lies about them without coming to their defense.
- Refuse to accept their perception and reality by constantly telling them they don’t understand or they should see it our way.
- Allow the kids to be disrespectful of their mother.
- Fail to support the discipline they have placed upon the children.
- Don’t pray for and with them regularly.
- Refuse to take the lead in financially supporting our home.
- Use harsh words to break their spirit.
- Treat their needs as frivolous and silly, but expect them to meet ours.
- Aren’t there for them in time and attention, because we are off pursuing our own goals and hobbies.
These are all ways we can make our wives feel unloved, unvalued, and unprotected. On our wedding day, we pledged to love and protect them. This doesn’t just mean in the case of an intruder at night, but it means by loving and caring for their heart and soul.
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¹ – Wild at Heart by John Eldredge – p. 17
