Reece Matthew Charge

Reece

Ephesians 5:22–24 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Reece, you are called to lovingly submit to Matthew and to support him as he leads your family. This will at times be a very easy thing to do, but at other times you will find that this is very difficult. You are being called to submit yourself to a sinner, but a redeemed sinner, and one that is being made new by the love of Jesus. He will make mistakes, you must continue to support him and pray for him as he continues to devote himself to Christ and to you.

Proverbs 14:1 ESV

The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.

You have a critical role to play in this family that you are forming today. You can build this house; but don’t think that this is a responsibility that you need to take on alone or can take on alone.

You already know that Jesus Christ is your strength and your provision. Look to him and depend upon him, and he will give you the strength you need to build this house. When you are in him, he will accomplish his work in your family.

Matthew

Ephesians 5:25–27 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Matthew, you will never receive a more serious and beautiful task for the rest of your life. You know the love with which Jesus has loved you; that although you were deep in sin and hating God, Jesus came for you, died for you, and beat death for you. His love for you is unconditional, it is steadfast, and it never changes.

You must now show this same love to Reece. There will be times that this is difficult, maybe because of her sin or maybe because of your own, and yet you must love her with that same unchanging love that you have come to know through Jesus.

One of the ways that you will do this is by washing her with the word of God. Your responsibility is to cleanse her in the word, just as you yourself were cleansed in it, so that you can present her to God spotless. You have no higher calling than this: to honor God by loving your wife and leading her to Christ every day.

Both of You

Now, to both of you:

Love one another. Forgive one another, as God in Christ has already forgiven you. The journey that you have been on to follow Christ flows through this day, but from the time you walk back down this aisle and forevermore you will be on it together. Each of you look to Christ, and direct each other to him daily, and may you both seek to honor him together for the rest of your days.