Violence & Building Proper Homes (3)
January 30, 2011
by Harry Osborne

In the previous articles of this series, we have considered our society's obvious problem of violence and its troubling manifestation among young people. We also showed the need for proper discipline within the home that would help prevent violence by instilling a respect for authority. The Bible presents the discipline needed as an outgrowth of a parent's love for a child. Now, we want to direct our attention to how love is cultivated within the home. God's word has the answer and we must turn to it, heeding what He says.

Love within the Home

First, as the core of the home, a marriage must be built upon love. Not merely a love of mutual attraction and "chemistry," but a love which is deeper, seeking the best for the other. The love God says ought to exist in a joyful home is one that is selfless. The required love gives unconditionally without requiring a return. It seeks what is right and what is best for others. It is the kind of love described by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Husbands should love their wives as Christ loved us when He died for us (Ephesians 5:25). That love must mean more to the husband than all he owns (Song of Solomon 8:7). He must never leave that love to engage in adultery (Proverbs 5:15-20). When this love is present, a husband will be earnest in his care and concern for his wife. He will not seek to fill his life with hobbies and activities which take him away from her on a continuing basis. Love seeks the presence of its object, not an absence from such. In short, a loving husband finds his ultimate joy in providing for and participating in the happiness of his wife.

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