“to obey”

One of my favorite quotes is:

“Let the wife make the husband glad to come home and let the husband make the wife sorry to see him leave”. (Martin Luther)

While I respect the Lutheran denomination, I am not Lutheran. I think this quote by Martin Luther is brilliant!

What’s it mean? What is he really saying? I think this is a great example of what a marriage should be.

Too many people, especially Christians focus on the “submit” thing. When talking with a pastor over twenty years ago when we were planning our wedding ceremony, I insisted the words “to obey” be changed. “To Obey” implies a wrong attitude in my humble opinion!

What does it mean to “Let the wife make the husband glad to come home”?
Some of the things I do to make my husband glad to come home include:
* Create an atmosphere where our home is a sanctuary, a safe place where where he can relax, where he can play, where he can laugh, cry and love.
* A home where there’s clean clothes, clean linens, food to eat
* A home where we entertain others, welcome others, love others and enjoy community with others
* A home where he receives encouragement, unconditional love, support and friendship

What does it mean to “let the husband make the wife sorry to see him leave”?
Some of the things my husband does that makes me sorry to see him leave include:
* Taking on tasks and responsibilities without being asked, seeing a need and taking care of it
* Saying “sleep in”, I’ve got it; packing a lunch, making breakfast, doing a load of laundry
* Showing love, friendship, being supportive and encouraging
* Saying “I Love You”, verbalizing and showing his appreciation for my efforts

As we live our married lives with the attitude this quote implies, there’s no need for the submit issue or the “to obey” words!