self-giving, not taking

This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:23)

Aren’t weddings beautiful? One thing everyone can see at a wedding is the joy on the face of the groom as he sees his bride walking toward him down the aisle of the church. But no smile down through the ages has been bigger than that of Adam, when he set eyes on the woman God presented to him. Gazing on her beauty, he finally understood who he was and the purpose of his life!

Up to this point, Adam was all alone. Yes, the other animals made engaging companions, but Adam knew that he was different. After all, do animals ponder the night sky or ask why things are the way they are? What’s more, only Adam had the desire and capacity to interact with God. Now there was another—a woman—who shared all of this with him. As different from Adam as she was, Eve was still a suitable partner for him. Together, they learned that they were created with a unique purpose—and to be a unique and exclusive gift to each other.

At retreats and youth conferences around the world, young women are learning about the dignity they have as daughters of God. Their hearts lighten at the message that the men in their lives are called to treasure and honor them. They are relieved to learn that they don’t have to settle for a lesser way of relating, one based primarily on physical attractiveness or sexual performance. For their part, young men are learning of the high calling they have to honor, protect, and cherish women. They are learning that they are created to give of themselves, not to use people for their own pleasure.

So it’s all about self-gift, not self-gratification. It’s about treasuring the gift that we are to each other. The question is, “How can I become more self-giving?” Here’s one easy way to start: make it a point every day to tell your spouse how much you love and treasure him or her. Start with that, and God will bless everything else.

“Father, you created me to love and be loved. Help me to break out of patterns of isolation and selfishness so that I can know deeper communion with you and those you have placed in my life.”

from wau.org