22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33
In this often quoted passage, we are given instructions on how to relate to our spouses. Wives to submit (often abused and misunderstood by many men), and husbands to love their wives( often misunderstood by everyone). Marriage vows made as two people gaze into each other's eyes at the alter are easy to declare but at times difficult to live out. Individuals have their own needs, desires, dreams, fears, weaknesses...and the process of learning to live together, united as "one flesh" has its trials and stormy moments. We are told that the keys to a successful marriage are grounded in how the Bridegroom deals with us, his Bride. What "submission" really is , what "love" is really all about, is revealed as we keep our eyes locked on the Author and Perfector of our Faith.
Everyday that we live and love our spouses - and others- our boundaries are being stretched, as we are called to put others before ourselves. This is an integral part of our walk, love is the engine that drives us down the narrow path.
The next time you find yourself irritated, annoyed, or inconvenienced remember how much the Lord loves us, makes good plans for us, and always has each of us on his mind, never considering us an imposition, but desiring to bless us.
Go and do likewise.
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