Phi 2:4 Do not let each man look upon his own things, but each man also on the things of others.
Phi 2:5 For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
Phi 2:6 who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
Phi 2:7 but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant,
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Many husbands joke that they can not handle the wife they have and who would want more than one anyway. We know in most cases this is not a serious confession, just a joke, a throw away line but for those odd husbands who do find even one wife a burden we offer some advice. Examine how you are loving her.

Paul encourages us husbands to love our wives as Christ loved the church (which is His Body) as this passage shows:
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,

So how did Christ love the church which is His Body? Our Lord Christ "gave himself" for it and this word "gave" is elsewhere translated "delivered up", "betrayed" and "hazarded" (their lives) and is found in this verse which shows the Father's love in sending the Son;
Rom 8:32 Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

And is also found in this verse showing the Son's love the "giving" of Himself;
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

We have examples of the love of the Father who delivered up His Son and the love of the Son who delivered up Himself and I doubt we husbands could not see the type of love so clearly exemplified. To love as Christ loved is to deliver up ourselves and this giving means 'to deliver over or up to the power of someone (else)" and our Philippians passage is explicit.

Our Lord Christ esteemed our affairs of more importance than His own and thus laid aside all His rights and prerogatives as God, He "emptied" Himself, or made Himself of no reputation, and took on the form or status of a servant.

It is our opinion that very few husbands can love like this and if they did, any wife or wives under such spiritual headship would be not be "difficult" to handle and in fact would be going way beyond the call of duty to response of such love. And if we think this is a fairy tale ideal, then why would God so instruct us?

If you think one wife is too much to handle, then perhaps it is time to look in the mirror and re-examine your love as a husband, is it "even as" Christ loved the church? Love flows from the top down, lets not automatically blame our wives if the marriage is not going well.

                                                                             

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