The Car Door

06 May The Car Door

Something happened some couple of years ago when a couple came visiting us. My husband saw them as they drove through the gate and when they parked, he saw the man come out of the car, go round, hold the car door open for his wife.
My husband was so pleased to see that, in fact, he was so pleased and as I would get to know later, he thought to himself that he would like to that for his wife… that’s me. Now don’t ask if he kept up to it.
That was on a Saturday, the following morning in Church he challenged the men to be gentle men and treat their wives like a ladies, using the couple and the car door as an example.

I know a woman who puts everything she is doing on hold to receive her husband as he gets home from the office. She stops even a telephone conversation and tells the person on the other line something like “Please let’s talk later my husband just got in and needs my attention.”
When I heard this I told myself it was such a great thing to do. I told myself I was going to practice that in Honour to God and my husband. Please do not ask if I remembered to do it at all…

The very popular scriptures in Ephesians 5:21-29 say the man should love his wife like the Church and the woman to submit to her husband as unto The Lord.

The husband is to give himself for his wife, to love, care for and cherish her. To lay down his pride, ego and all that he is and treat her like he would treat a priceless gift because that is what a wife is.
Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

For some, opening car doors (whether good or bad) might be part of it. In West Africa where I live, it is not common practice but it is not a bad idea at all.
Husbands should follow Christ’s examples of care, nuture, and protection of His Bride, The Church. That is what Ephesians 5 implies.

The wife is to submit to her husband as unto The Lord, in love. She should submit to and reverence her husband. I found a scripture that gives us details of what this means:
1 Peter 3:2 AMP
…you are to feel for him (your husband) all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband.

For the wives honoring would involve giving your husband full attention whenever it is demanded, including putting all other things on hold to welcome him home.

Most of us know these verses of Ephesians 5 very well, in fact we can quote them from our Hearts and minds but we should actually get round to putting them in practice. For the blessing comes from actually doing the word, not from merely knowing the word.

Disobedience has some of its root in pride.

Most husbands find it difficult to serve their wives, serving here is not meant as a servant but to render assistance to her.
While some wives think it is condescending to submit to their husbands in all things as God requires. They are afraid they might be trampled on or taken for granted.
Truth however is that when we obey God in this regard irrespective of whether it is appreciated or reciprocated to by our spouse or not, we please God’s heart and that really is all that counts.

I know it is especially difficult for those who have unbelieving spouses but your obedience can turn things around.

Just for laughs; after service, the man I talked about in the beginning told my husband that his gentlemanly act the previous day at our house was because the car door was bad and could only be opened from outside. I bet you are laughing right now; we all had a good laugh as well.

But seriously, couples need to really get down to loving and serving (rendering assistance to) one another. Love, if only professed without being displayed does not make any impact.

Or what do you think?

Copyright© Ugochi Oritsejolomisan 2013