Scripture Verse
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” — Ephesians 5:25 (NIV)
Devotional
Though the Apostle Paul never married, few men in Scripture provide a clearer picture of what godly love and spiritual leadership look like. In his letters to the early church, Paul painted a compelling portrait of a Christlike husband — not by personal example, but through divine revelation, Spirit-filled wisdom, and a life lived in total devotion to the Lord.
Paul’s charge to husbands in Ephesians 5:25 is bold: “Love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” This is not a passive love. It’s sacrificial. It’s the kind of love that gives, bleeds, serves, and dies to protect, cleanse, and uplift. The bar for biblical husbandhood isn’t comfort or control — it’s the cross.
What makes Paul’s command so powerful is that he lived it out in every other relationship. He poured himself out for the churches he planted. He endured beatings, shipwrecks, rejection, and imprisonment — not for personal gain, but to build up others in Christ. “I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well,” he wrote to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:15). That’s the kind of love a husband is called to offer his wife: one that gives without demanding in return.
Paul also gave us one of the most famous definitions of love in all of Scripture — 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient. Love is kind. It doesn’t envy, boast, or dishonor others. It isn’t self-seeking. It keeps no record of wrongs. These aren’t abstract ideals. They’re daily challenges — especially in marriage. A godly husband learns to live out this passage, not just memorize it.
Despite his past — as a persecutor of Christians — Paul never let shame define him. Instead, he walked in grace and humility, always pointing to God’s mercy. “By the grace of God I am what I am,” he wrote (1 Corinthians 15:10). That’s a powerful example for husbands who feel the weight of their past. God doesn’t call perfect men — He calls surrendered ones.
Paul also endured tremendous hardship without losing heart. He was stoned, beaten, imprisoned, and betrayed — yet his focus remained on Christ. That kind of endurance, rooted in clear purpose and spiritual maturity, is essential for a husband. Marriage is filled with seasons — some joyful, some hard — but a godly man leads by staying grounded, faithful, and fixed on the eternal.
Application
Paul’s life challenges every husband — and every man preparing for marriage — to lead spiritually, love sacrificially, and walk in humility. You may not face prison cells or persecution, but you will face moments where your love must be patient, your sacrifice must be real, and your leadership must point your family to Christ.
Ask yourself:
- Am I loving like Christ — sacrificially and selflessly?
- Am I leading in prayer, in humility, and in service?
- Am I showing grace the way I’ve received it?
Prayer
Lord, help me love like Christ — with patience, humility, and sacrifice. Teach me to lead not with pride, but with grace and wisdom. Like Paul, may I pour myself out for the good of others and the glory of Your name. Strengthen me in hardship, ground me in truth, and make me a spiritual leader in my home. Amen.
