Imagine being married to Jesus. 

How sacrificial would He be in meeting your needs? How clear would He be in showing His love? What sin could you begin to display without Him lovingly calling you back to godliness? What offense would He not quickly forgive?

As we read in Ephesians 5, Paul uses Jesus as the model for our marriages. It’s one thing to hold your spouse up to the example of Jesus and assess the ways he or she needs to grow in Christlikeness. But it’s significant that in Ephesians 5, Paul does not call husbands to make their wives into good spouses, nor does he call wives to make their husbands into godly spouses. He simply calls each spouse to pursue Christ in his or her marriage.

So ask yourself: How would Jesus respond in your situation? What proactive steps would Jesus take to demonstrate love? How would Jesus care for, forgive, nurture, and uplift your spouse?

Unquestionably, Jesus would be the perfect spouse. But here’s the thing: you are called to be like Jesus! It’s not about doing it on your own or simply working harder: remember what we said about abiding in Christ, being empowered by the Spirit, and finding strength in weakness. But day by day, we are called to pick up our own crosses and follow Jesus. And that needs to be happening in our marriage relationships as well.

Discuss with your spouse: What are some areas in your marriage where you need to grow more in Christlikeness?

Philippians 2:1–1