Husband - a want or a need?
As a little girl who had planned to be married by 22, I had no grasp of the concept that my desire to be married had very little to do with whether or not I would be. I recently turned 30 and amidst all the excitement, there’s that increasing sense of wonder: what happens if it never happens for me?
Through my twenties, I constantly wrestled with God over my single status. I have never felt a call to singleness, but when it comes down to it, I don’t have any substantial reasons for needing a husband. Ultimately, it is only God who can be my everything, and so I ask for a husband because it seems like a nice addition to my life – a want, a desire rather than a need. But in the back of my mind it still seemed like a very real need.
Until last week.
Over the course of this year, I am studying the Gospel of John. Each week, I have been overwhelmed by the deep revelation of the person of Jesus. Reading and reflecting on His encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4, my heart saw Him in a whole new way.
I am in love with this guy.
Falling in love with Jesus
Unlike ever before in my 30 years of knowing Jesus, I now know what it means to love Him in a way so deep it’s tangible. Like the feeling you get when you’re friends with a guy for a really long time, and then something changes and you start to realise how amazing he is and then your heart is overwhelmed with love for him.
I have been seeking an intimate relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – for a long time. I had been told that by diligence in reading His word, intimacy would come. It didn’t make sense at the time that intellectual reading would cause a heartfelt understanding. But it did.
And now, it all makes sense.
Seriously considering Jesus as the love of my life puts this into a whole new perspective. Were the Bible framed as love letters, emails, and texts from a significant other, I would diligently read every word and be lost in all there is to know about Him. Were prayer framed as coffee dates and phone conversations with the love of my life, I would spend a lot more time in coffee shops and need a much bigger phone plan.
Jesus - the ultimate bridegroom
When you go beyond the physical attributes of what a woman wants in a man, Jesus perfectly fulfils every one of our hearts desires.
Looking for a provider? He’s generous beyond all measure. Not only does everything belong to Him, and every good and perfect gift comes from Him, but His gift of grace provides the means of salvation and enables us to be in relationship with Him.
Looking for a lover? He loves with an unconditional kind of love, a love that will go to the cross to ensure we can live in eternal relationship with Him.
Looking for a confidant? He listens, even though He already knows your thoughts and the deepest longings of your heart. He knows what’s best for you, and His advice is completely trustworthy.
Looking for a protector? Who better than the God of the universe to have your back? He sees all things and is the commander of armies of angels.
Ladies, take any other attribute that your heart desires and seeks in a man, and be overwhelmed in the way Jesus is all of that and more.
Is it any wonder that Christ is depicted as the bridegroom to His bride, the Church? A relationship with Him is the ultimate in joy, contentment, fulfilment, and the truest, deepest satisfaction.
I still long for a flesh and bones husband in this life, but resting in all that my relationship with Jesus holds, I choose to trust in His sovereignty, find my fullness in Him, and give Him the glory when my husband is revealed.
Chloe is an Australian writer. She loves weekend breakfasts with friends, and embraces life as an extrovert, a detail-oriented thinker, and a verbal processor.
Chloe’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/chloe-alexander.html