My intentions of reading this book are simple…I want to be an aware Christian now and for the future. Currently I am a single girl in the dating arena, so I thought I would read a few books this year on marriage to learn some principles that might work in the future if the dating stage moved forward. I see the dating arena as a way to get to know someone by experiencing, growing, and learning new things and if the relationship deems worthy then “maybe” one day engagement and marriage. My thought is that dating is the time to see whether or not two people are compatible, so I thought that reading about “love” and “respect” might help me see what God’s design for marriage was all about. My past history with the last really serious relationship in my life did not necessarily go as I had planned, but now I realize that it was God’s plan for me to learn and grow as an individual. My past relationships have made me a stronger woman and helped me to become the person I am today. I am thankful for the past, but I do not want to revisit the same mistakes in future relationships so I have since made a conscious effort to grow stronger and closer to God’s word and see what His plan really is for my future whether in singlehood, dating, marriage, and etc. The book I choose to read on this topic was “Love and Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.
I believe this book also talks to singles like me even though the main focus is on marriage. The book concludes discussing the “Rewarded Cycle”. Within the rewarded cycle the husband and wife both respond out of love and respect regardless of how the other partner is responding in the marriage because of selflessness and humility like Jesus Christ. This I believe can be applied to singlehood because it is my thought that we can show love and respect to others despite how they treat us! One day will be rewarded with the same blessing as married Christians, a home in heaven, if we wait patiently and practice obedience toward Christ. I believe that if a single person focuses their attention on unconditional love and unconditional respect within all relationships they have with people throughout their day then they will be rewarded like was mentioned in Matthew 5:46 when Jesus said, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?”.
Knowing the love and respect principles I believe could strengthen any single persons love and reverence for the Lord. In John 8:31-32 Jesus says, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”. As Christians if we experience “inner freedom” and “spiritual freedom” from our sin and learn from our past experiences instead of hating others then we are practicing “love” and “respect” within our own lives. Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary for our sins, so that we might live. If we “love” and “respect” Him then we should all seek out “love” and “respect” relationships within our lives and try to help out by sharing our Christian principles. We can do this by building stronger relationships based on “love” and “respect” with the people we come in contact with on a daily basis. We might be able to bring others to Christ by our Christian example and sharing God’s truth and love!
The book also points out “God’s tests” concerning “inner freedom” and how He is testing us to show us that we can do this and increase our “rewards”. The author references James 1:2-12 which talks about believers being tested with trails and temptations and being made stronger under trial because of the “test”. So isn’t the “test” God is giving us on a daily basis seeking to see if we are practicing love and respect with others and see how we have shared the story of Jesus? How many Christians would pass the test? I know we all hope that we would pass, but would you pass?
I believe that the author summed up the entire book awesomely when he mentioned that God’s color is “purple” which the color of royalty is. Purple, he goes on to say, is made up of “pink” and “blue” which are how women and men view and go through life but when combined together make purple. When the color “purple” is made, then God’s image is reflected which reinforces the memory verse for the book “[Every husband] also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” Ephesians 5:33. Yes, one day I hope to put the main principles of the book into practice within a marriage! Until then I am going to focus on the conclusions I mentioned above with what I can do as a single adult Christian.
Just a few thoughts,
Lara
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