Honey-Do-List

Anyone who has ever been married knows that there are things that you need or want from your spouse. Sometimes you ask nicely and other times you may make a Honey-Do-List. One thing you should never do is “NAG”! Nagging leads to irritation, exasperation, and makes a big debit in your partner’s “love bank”.

Being recently single, I started thinking much more about the Lord as my husband. He is everything to me, my healer, provider, lover, and best friend. I am totally dependent on him and I know he will never fail me. Since my move out to Colorado Springs to attend Charis Bible College, I have become acutely aware of what a good God and wonderful husband he is. Every day I start my day asking for his leading and guidance and then sometimes I depend on his direction minute by minute.

The great thing about him being my husband is that he can read my mind. What spouse doesn’t wish for this? He also knows my heart’s desire and all my needs before I even ask him. I am sorry to say that I have not depended on him so intensely in a very long time. This brings up my next point. A few days ago when I was thanking him for another “divine appointment and provision”, I felt impressed to really start treating him like a husband. I had been vacillating between “peace like a river” and “tsunami waves of panic”. I didn’t know how to really walk consistently in the river. I would be like, “God help me, help me!!” or “I need this, that and the other thing!” or “What are you doing?” and “Help me trust you, don’t fail me now” . . . and on and on. What spouse in their right mind would want to be treated like this? When you fall in love and covenant with your lover, you bestow trust in them. If you have a need you ask them with respect and kindness not desperation and doubt. You also learn what they need and you try to meet their needs before they even ask. I loved being married and whenever I pleased my husband, I got such a thrill. It made me want to jump higher and inspired me to delight myself in him even more.

Our marriage to God, our covenant of salvation, allows us to have this same relationship with him. David said, “I delight to do thy will, Oh My God. Yeah, Thy laws are within my heart.” That’s me! I love to please God and listen closely to anticipate his every desire for my life. The amazing news is that HE IS THE SAME WAY. He does stuff for us just because he loves us and wants to have the thrill of watching and feeling our genuine delight. He loves doing the little things for us as much as the big things. He can heal a head cold and he can heal cancer. It is all the same to him. He can provide groceries or a ranch with cattle on a thousand hills. It is all the same.

What he doesn’t need is a Honey-Do-List. It is not necessary. He also doesn’t need to be nagged at, distrusted or questioned. Oh, he will put up with it, because he is longsuffering, but he is so much better than we treat him. A healthy marriage could never withstand the type of behavior we display toward our heavenly spouse. He plainly states, “With prayer and supplication make your request known” . . . no mention of nagging there! Then he states, “Cast ALL your CARES upon him, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU!” Got to love that statement! Wow! Bring it on! He is big enough to take care of it.

I have so many stories of his love for me. He has done so many little loving, intimate things for me in the past few weeks and I really enjoy delighting in him. It makes me want to go deeper and farther into his presence. I am now committed to loving him like the breathtaking, astonishing, brilliant husband that he is. No more nagging or Honey-Do-List for me!

“Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.” Zig Ziglar