VALUE AND APPRECIATE YOUR SPOUSE

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:27; 2:18 – HCSB

1:27  So God created man in His own image; 
He created him in the image of God; 
He created them male and female.

2:18  Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.”

OBSERVATIONS:  The LORD God (that is to say, our Friend and Authority) created a man and a woman and a marriage.  These two verses are foundational to our understanding of what it means to have a healthy relationship with God and our spouse.  They outline the equal value that men and women share before God, and the complementary nature of their diverse roles.  Coming to grips with the distinction between VALUE and ROLES is critical to a healthy marriage and family, as is APPRECIATING the value and role your spouse is uniquely designed by God to fulfill.

APPLICATION:  I should value Lisa as God values her.  I should appreciate the complementary nature of my relationship with her.  “Appreciate” means “to be grateful or thankful for; to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on; to be fully conscious of; to raise in value; an increase in value.”

• I can do this verbally.  I can TELL her why I appreciate her.
• I can do this tangibly.  I can WRITE her a note that communicates her value to me.
• I can do this physically.  I can SERVE her is a specific way that puts her need at the moment above my own.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank You for creating me with the capacity to relate to You at a personal level.  My life continues to change because of this connection.  And thank You for giving me my complementary partner in marriage—my wife, Lisa!  Teach me how to make her feel appreciated in all the ways appreciation makes itself know.  Beyond this, let my life be an example of what it means to live in full appreciation of you.  Guide me in the application of these truths so that my life serves to provide a great example and great equipping for our church family.