President Obama and his wife Michelle had a date night recently. They flew to New York City to have dinner and take in a Broadway show. It was a break from his busy schedule and an opportunity to spend an evening with his lovely wife. Of course, they were under the watchful eyes of the secret service and the public as their motorcade showed up in downtown New York.
Too often we forget to make special time for that most important person in our lives—our spouse. When you're first in love, you want to be with each other as much as possible. Then work, children and responsibilities creep in and crowd out personal time for the one you love.
Couples need to have time just for themselves. Time to speak openly about things on their minds. Time to speak affectionately to each other out of earshot of the children. Planned time together may be fun, refreshing, informative and strengthening to the relationship.
You are told to "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your...life." (Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 [7] Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
[8] Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
[9] Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
See All...).
Husbands are to nourish and cherish their wives according to the Apostle Paul. And, wives are to have respect for their husbands. Both may be accomplished by spending time together (Ephesians 5:22-33 [22] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
[23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
[24] Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
[25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
[26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
[27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
[28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
[29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
[30] For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
[31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
[32] This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
[33] Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
See All...).
Here are some benefits of dating your wife:
• Time away from parenting if you have children.
• Time to be together as spouses and not parents.
• Time to enjoy life together having fun.
• Time to talk about marriage and the family.
• Time to share feelings.
• Time to rekindle loving feelings for one another.
• Time to exercise creativity in arranging the date.
Most of us will not be able to afford a trip to New York City for dinner and a Broadway show. But, we all can plan to spend special time with our spouses to refresh our marriages and enhance our families. We can't afford not to make time for the most important person in our lives—our spouse.
For GN Magazine, I'm Gary Antion.
Nobody has commented yet. Be the first to kick off the discussion!