“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 (HCSB)
‘Me time’ is a lie! When we get married, we are no longer about ‘me!’ Our life before marriage was filled with ‘my’ dreams. Everything we do up till we say ‘I do’ was for me. Then suddenly (actually it usually takes more time than that), my vision, calling and dream was morphed into what God had for the two of us as one!!
We must war for our wives, our children, for our marriage and our family. ‘Me’ time is a recent phenomenon! It speaks of entitlement, independence and selfishness! Husbands, wives, it’s no longer about you singular, it is about the two of you as one!!! There is no Biblical precedence for ladies’ night out, or boys time, or as my dad had his weekly ‘bowling night!’ Of course, I am not saying on an occasional basis, but too many men and women spend ‘Me time’ when they should be having ‘date time’ or prayer time!
The Bible speaks clearly into this. We’re told to put each other’s needs, wants and desires above our own (Philippians 2:3)! We are urged to be submissive to each other (Ephesians 5:21). Men are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves the Church and gave His life FOR her (Ephesians 5:25–28) even as they love their own bodies. We are told to become one with our spouse, to leave father and mother, and by implication our friend’s and things that we focused on when we were single (Ephesians 5:31).
Ask God to strip off of you the cultural lie that espouses your need for ‘me’ time. Ask Him for a grace to love your spouse as Christ loves the Church, to submit to them, to esteem them higher than your own needs. Ask for this same grace to break across the shores of your church, starting with your pastor, but spreading across the entire congregation creating an atmosphere of heaven on earth. Ask God to release His people across our city from the bondage of this entitlement, to reveal a Church that looks more like Jesus than it does the world!
