Concerning the husband’s responsibility to love his wife, J. R. Miller offers these thoughts:

“Each member of the household has a part in the family life and fullest happiness and blessedness of the home can be attained only when each one’s part is safely fulfilled. If any one member of the family fails in love or duty, the failure mars the whole household life, just as one discordant note in a company of singers spoils the music – though all the others sing in perfect accord. One person cannot alone make a home what it ought to be, what it might be.

One sweet spirit may spread through the home the odors of love, even though among the other members, there is bitterness and strife, just as one fragrant flower may spread through a hedge of thorns a breath of perfume. The influence of one gentle and unselfish life may also in times soften rudeness and melt selfishness and pervade the home life with blessedness of love.

Yet still is true that no member of a household can make the household life full and complete. Each must do a part. The husband has a part all his own which no other can do…There is one work which covers all as far as the husband’s responsibility and the word is love.”

Men, it is true – of all the members of the household none is more responsible than we are to do that which we have been ordained by God to do!  In our own strength this is impossible, but God….BUT GOD…has promised to help us in our weakness to do that which we could never do left to ourselves.

May we pray all the more earnestly to be men who love their wives by laying aside our desires for their good and ultimately for God’s glory!