Though we are often tempted to categorize the things in our lives as spiritual and holy versus fleshly and worldly, much, if not all, of what we possess, whether tangible or intangible, can be used for The Lord’s service. Speaking of the Millennium, a time when Christ rules literally and bodily upon the earth, (Him being “the governor among the nations,” and having “dominion also from sea to sea,” being “king over all the earth.” [Psa 22:28; 72:8, Zech 14:9]), The LORD speaks through Zechariah, saying,
“Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto The LORD of Hosts…” [Zech 14:21]
Whereas formerly only those pots which were specifically formed for such and sanctified in Levitical rituals were allowable in service to The LORD, now, in the Millennium, any pot will do. Each pot, whether it is here or there, in the temple or without, may be used; they shall all be, “holiness unto The LORD of Hosts.” In our lives as Christians there is a great parallel. For just as Christ will rule as king bodily upon the earth in those latter times, He reigns upon our hearts now. He, our great king, reigns upon our hearts and rules our lives. And just as every pot in that day will be useful unto God, even so it is now in the believer’s life: everything in their lives, apart from those things explicitly formed for sinful behavior, shall be holiness unto The LORD and useful for His service. Is there anything in our lives which God may not redeem and use for His glory? Hardly; for it is written, “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” [1 Cor 10:31] And if all is to be done for His glory, then those tools, those pots as it were, which are used to do various things may truly be used for God’s glory. Again, Paul writes in Colossians, showing us that in all things we may serve The LORD. Whereas formerly, there was a single location, and specific goods set aside for godly worship, now “The Father seeketh” those who “shall worship [Him] in spirit and in truth.” [Jn 4:23]
“And whatsoever ye do, do it from out of the soul, as to The Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of The Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve The Lord Christ.” [Col 2:23-24]
And seeing that we can serve and worship the Lord in all areas and with all things in our lives, not just in a secluded and specifically “spiritual” place, we too can be rewarded for those good things we do, even if we would be tempted to label it as “unspiritual.” Paul writes again, in Ephesians, saying,
“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of The Lord, whether he be bond or free.” [Eph 6:8]
If indeed we can serve The LORD in all capacities of our lives, then certainly that applies to marriage. There is an evil wisdom which satan attempts to ensnare husbands with that would lead them to not view their wives or family as a ministry, and their most important ministry at that. When The LORD is explaining to Israel regarding the true fast that He desires, the true worship – in contrast to the merely superficial ritual services they were giving Him – The LORD, among other things, lists, “that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh.” [Isa 58:7] That is, one thing The LORD holds chief, as a mark of true spirituality and worship, is that a man does not neglect those of his own flesh, that is, his family. And again, as we have seen before, when we take heed to the command, “husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,” and remember that Jesus, “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,” then we must absolutely conclude a man is to serve his wife, her being his chief ministry. [Eph 5:25, Mt 20:28]
Even as with church duties, serving the poor, sharing the gospel with strangers, so too marriage. As husbands, serving our wives and ministering to them, even as Jesus did for His bride, the church, is to be one of our chief priorities. If we are to use our bodies to exemplify Jesus’ character, to magnify His great name, then we ought to take great heed to this principle and serve our wives. For the wife is the husband’s greatest ministry. Again, let us not, as Paul said, be “ignorant of [satan’s] devices.” [2 Cor 2:11] It is one of satan’s ploys to divide families, to cause bitterness, and also to prevent a husband from serving his wife. If, “in the ages to come,” when we enter that glorious kingdom, God is going to “shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus,” [Eph 2:7] and we are supposed to “walk worthy of God, who hath called [us] unto His kingdom and glory;” [1 Thess 2:12] then how may we presently neglect our wives? How may we put others always ahead of them, refusing to minister grace unto them – that grace which Christ gave us to be stewards over? My brethren, it ought not to be like this. As Christ-like and God-fearing men, we are to exemplify ourselves as His servants by serving His daughters, our individual wives.
Furthermore, we see in Revelation a picture of Jesus our High Priest. John wrote,
“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man…” [Rev 1:12-13]
Jesus interprets, saying, “…the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” [Rev 1:20] And again, speaking of Himself, “…these things saith He…who walketh in the midst of the seven candlesticks.” [Rev 2:1] Additionally, let us remember how it is said, “every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” [Heb 5:1] The high priest was a servant; a servant of men and ultimately of God. Notice, then, how Jesus Christ, our High Priest, walks in the midst of the churches as it were, tending to their flame, to their state. This attitude is confirmed for us also in Philippians, where Paul says,
“For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” [Phil 2:20-21]
Implied in these words is that what is Jesus Christ’s is a natural care for the wellbeing, for the state of the church – whether that is spiritual, physical, emotional, or mental. Jesus Christ takes thought and great care for the church, and Paul longs for a partner who does the same. Now, returning our minds to the picture in Revelation, where we see Jesus Christ walking in the midst of the churches as a High Priest. The High Priest did not just apathetically walk among the tabernacle or temple decorations, vessels, and other things. No, but he attended with care to their state, just as Jesus to the church. Therefore, if the husband is to reflect Jesus, he must also, as Jesus being our High Priest does, attend to the state of his wife and serve her. The husband ought to be intimately aware of her state, and attending to it with great care and preparation, bringing her up in prayer to God and serving her by the power of The Holy Spirit.
Is there any man, any husband, who disagrees with these things? Are there any married men who read this who would think it fitting to neglect their wife in order to “serve” God in the church? My brother, let us settle the matter quite easily, and ask your wife what she thinks. Do you suppose she feels, as she should be if you are a God-fearing husband, as a “fruitful vine by the sides of thine house?” [Psa 128:3] or do you suppose she is weak and wilting away, longing for a man to actually love her and care for her? Let her be your judge.
Furthermore, we read,
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” [1 Jn 4:20]
Let us see clearly here that a man who says he loves God whom he cannot presently see, but does not love his wife, who is an “heir together [with him] of the grace of life,” is a liar altogether, and no lover of God. [1 Pe 3:7] These are serious words from our Lord Jesus. If Jesus Christ loves us so dearly, and came to earth to serve us, prioritizing us over those glorious liberties He enjoyed in heaven, then we also as husbands ought to prioritize and serve our wives.