That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of themselves. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife!
(Eph. 5:28-29)

Men have a God-given inward desire and craving for greatness, significance, even to become a hero.

In saying that, that is not to leave out any similar feelings a woman may feel. Every human being has the desire for their life to having meaning and significance. Simply speaking from a man's point of view, I know that men have an inner desire for greatness in their lives.

When people that you haven't seen for some time ask the golden question, "What's new?" it's natural to desire to have something meaningful to say.

The majority of all men's lives are not patterned in such a way as to lead them into the kinds of actions that people would call great. Few of us have jobs or lifestyles that put us on the front lines that lead us to actions of heroism.

Let me call heroes or great people, those that help those who can't help themselves. If you think of that definition, it doesn't take anything away from the words hero or greatness. It just makes them more practical and accessible and allows us to satisfy the desire for greatness or heroism within us. We can all help others that can't help themselves.

Let me bring this down to our daily lives. I'll say this to men even though I know these words will speak to all.

Men, most of you before you married your wife, chased after her, spent more money than you ever imagined on her, talked twice your normal word bank in winning her heart, were creative in finding activities to do with her, professed mushy love words to her, and lavished her with romance and gifts and finally came to the conclusion that you wanted to unite with her in marriage.

Even if you were horrible at all this, you did it more before you were married than you probably do now.

At the time your bride-to-be didn't know that this pursuit might be a temporary arrangement. She was naive enough to think that this type of pursuit would be ongoing. She also probably thought it was GREAT! After all, she gave herself over to you in marriage.

Again, I am not trying to minimize the word "hero" but the word is already used loosely. We are so in need of heroes today that the term is given to people that did nothing to earn the title.

What a man does internally for a woman when he pursues and loves her is something she cannot do for herself. He becomes her personal hero. When a man loves a woman with a maturing but continuing intensity, she experiences an inward need met that she cannot satisfy herself.

This man is doing a great thing. By our definition of doing something for someone that they cannot do for themselves, he is acting in greatness or as a hero.

This is heroism and greatness at the most basic level. Is it needed and necessary? Look at the state of marriages in this country and around you. What do you think? Does the word crisis come to mind?

This is why the Apostle Paul by the inspiration of God wrote in Ephesians:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
(Eph. 5:25)

Jesus' love for the people was not a singular or temporary event. It was ongoing and is still ongoing. He still courts you and I today with His letter of love and promise (the Bible) and as a hero husband. He'll fulfill every promise He makes to us.

As husbands He wants us to let acts of greatness and heroism start where it will benefit all the most. By laying down our own selfish interests for a higher purpose - His purposes, starting with loving our wives. That is why the Lord goes on to say:

That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as though they were loving themselves. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife! No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body the Church, of which we are parts.
(Eph. 5:28-29)

By loving our wives the way God tells us to, we will actually be satisfying a desire for greatness and developing godly character for greater greatness. We'll become the heroes of our home and I promise you that a true hero at home becomes a hero in other places.

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