Delight in loving...

As part of getting disciplined with God I am currently attending Feminine Appeal book study group.  It is a great encouragement in being a godly woman.  This week was all about the delight in loving your husband.

With all the demands of life, the chaos of looking after children and the home, the commitments outside of the home, I find it quite easy to put the 'delight of loving' on the back burner.  I am more than happy doing things for and serving my husband but remembering to take pleasure in it and cultivating tenderness requires more from me.  Its not a case of 'well he doesn't do this or that for me' but delight in loving him as God has asked me to do (Titus 2).  Its about me laying down my desires and doing what I know is right - to follow Jesus.  When doing this study, we looked at what is love, our cultural perceptions as well as learning that this study is about us and not a time to grumble about our husbands.  We can control our actions and words but not our husbands, so we are to work on our hearts through this study. 

For inspiration I look to the cross - Jesus died for my sins and I am forgiven because of Him.  Jesus does not come to me with a complaint list about how I'm not measuring up to his ideals, He is full of love, grace and compassion.  Jesus is not hard or so focused on the task at hand, that there is no time for others.  I have lots still to learn in loving but I know I have an amazing saviour who I can come to for help and guidance to cultivate a delight of love.

I enjoyed reading through the different creative ways wives showed love to their husbands, with notes, gifts or prayers.  Its really good to learn your husbands love language and indulge him in your love.  At the end of the study we have a take home exercise - this week I will be thinking of creative ways to show my husband the tenderness of my love for him, in a way that he will appreciate and understand.  I will not focus on my needs/desires but put God first and cherish my husband.

Titus 2:4  and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.