Live joyfully with thy wife

Live joyfully with thy wife

Scripture: 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. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:9-10

Observation: In these verses, King Solomon first of all exhorts men to live joyfully with their wives all the days of their lives. Secondly, whatever we do, do it with all our heart.

In examining the first part, it is curious that King Solomon who married a thousand wives should advise a man to be loyal and content with one. Amidst the throng of women that he married, it seems that King Solomon actually only loved one, perhaps the one that he wrote the Song of Songs for.

When Jesus came, the Pharisees tried to test Him, asking if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for every cause. Jesus replied  “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” Matthew 19:4. Therefore it is God’s will that husband and wife should remain loyal and committed to one another till the end as enshrined in the wedding vow.

In many homes today, it could be hard to imagine how a husband can live joyfully with his wife when there is quarreling and anger and distrust in the home. How do we live joyfully with a spouse that is not joyful towards us? The key word in the verse is “love”. The greatest love one can show is to continue to love even when that love is not returned. Joy and love put together is not a pretense that we are always happy and ignore our hurts. Instead, it is a choice to remain positive and hopeful even in the face of negativity, anger or plain passivity.

In respect of the second part, King Solomon is asking us to inculcate an attitude of excellence in whatever we have set our heart to do. It could be our regular daily work, serving in church, housework at home or taking care of our children. The message is, since life is short, and while we have breath in our mouths, be the best that we can be.

Application:- Make it a point to work towards being joyful and loving in our marriages no matter what circumstances befalls us. In whatever we do, do it will all our heart, as to the Lord.

Prayer:- Lord, give me a heart of deep joy and love that I might always appreciate and love the one you have given me for life. In whatever I do, give me a heart of excellence, to glorify Your name in all that I do. In Jesus name, Amen.