Relationships

A Guy Like This

Like most girls, when I was younger, I could list the things that I wanted in a guy. Some of these things were important, some of them weren’t. Hopefully, the older and more mature I got the list was filled more with important things than unimportant ones.

However, now that I’m married, I find that one of the best gifts God has given me is a husband who I can use as an example of the type of guy a girl should marry. I can say, “You’re not sure what type of man God as for you? You should look for a guy like this” and describe who my husband is.  This isn’t to say that our marriage is perfect, no marriage is, but it is far better than I could have hoped for or imagined. One of the primary reasons for this is because of the wonderful man that I get to call my husband. What I’ve learned is that if you’re married to the type of guy that you would tell young women to marry, than that’s a pretty good thing, and what I tell them is that they should look for:

  • A Guy That Loves You Like This – One of the best things about my husband is the manner in which he loves me. I know that must sound selfish, but I’m blessed to be married to a guy that takes my burden as his own, who strives to protect me from both physical and emotional hurt, and who wants for me to be happy. These are wonderful things to look for in a relationship.

 

  • A Guy that Leads Like This – Not only does my husband love me well, but he leads well because he leads with his eyes firmly focused on Christ. Because of this, he’s looking towards the “big picture’ and not the temporary annoyances of today. Obviously, I benefit from this, but I’m not the only one. Wherever he goes, this is how he leads – humbly, with his heart fixed on our King. 

 

  • A Guy that Serves Like This – Although my husband is a great leader, he is perhaps an even greater servant. Because his leadership is Christ-focused, so is his service. I don’t know if I have ever witnessed my husband be concerned about the personal cost of his service. He is always willing to go the extra mile and spend the extra time, because he knows that the manner in which he serves, as well as the service itself, is reflective of our Lord.  He serves well, which motivates me to serve well also.

 

  • A Guy who Loves Christ Like This – My husband is able to love, lead and serve well because of his love for Christ. As has hopefully been shown above this is his primary focus – loving Christ in a manner that it dominates every other area of his life. There aren’t many ways to predict how a marriage will turn out, but marrying a guy who loves Christ well (and loving Christ well yourself) is an unbeatable foundation to build on.

It’s hard to always discern what to look for in a spouse; it’s hard to know what will matter in 20, 30, 40 years. While we haven’t gotten there yet, I believe all these things will. And it’s a magnificent blessing to be married to someone that you can point to and say, “look for a guy like this.”

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Growth

Beyond the Notes


“Now, let’s begin our time of worship.”

It’s a common saying in churches today. Programmed services means that there is a carefully allotted schedule for everything that happens when believers gather together. The fast-paced nature of our society and people’s over-packed calendars means that we have to stay on schedule otherwise we risk alienating the visitors. So we transition from one item on the agenda to the next, careful to maintain our prescribed order of events. Even the “artsy” churches do this; they just have a cooler way of keeping everyone on track.

And while I’m used to the routine, the words grate on me every time I hear them.

Not because I’m against an organized sequence of events.  You’re talking about a girl who loved to go down the office supplies aisle in Costco long before she had any type of office to speak of. As friends and families can tell you, I love a carefully-crafted plan that gets us to a desired result. So it’s not the strict sense of organization that bothers me.

Nor is it the music that predictably follows this statement. I love music, and I take quite literally the command to make a joyful noise unto the Lord (Psalm 98:4).  For me personally, music is a powerful force in ushering my heart into a statement of humility and awe before God.

But it’s not the only way to worship.

Worship doesn’t consist only of notes being played. Nor is worship something that the Christian starts and stops during the course of their day. All of our lives, the music and the mundane, the notes and the moments, should be focused on giving glory and honor to God. To indicate that it is something that happens when a band starts playing and a group of believers start singing makes the word devoid of its intent. Worship is how we live – not a programmed activity at the start of a service.

Similarly worship shouldn’t be relegated to a particular segment of the service. The preaching, the tithing, the greeting and the announcements should all be acts of worship. And please, don’t give someone the title of “Worship Pastor” unless that person is seriously going to be considering how all these things can bring glory and honor to God.

This isn’t to say we don’t worship God with music. I heartily believe we should.  But our worship should start long before we hear the first strum and should continue long after the last note.

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