I take my husband out for brunch some mornings. He takes me out and I take him out. Everyone likes to be appreciated and treated well.

Married women should have money of their own (Proverbs 31) and be able to make decisions about what happens, etc. The weak and dependant role model that some uphold, is so very not true. Wives get ill and need support, and husbands get ill and they need support too. Women are people and every person has a personal life that they are responsible for.

There are also issues around the fact that we are all different- personalities, physical shape, emotional life, intellect, tastes, spiritual strength… to name a few. We all walk with Christ with these differences, and if we marry, we have to learn to walk with the other partner too.! Closely..! In all of life, these skills are necessary, so that we have inclusive attitudes and are able to accept people who are different and bring all people into society, our circle of friends and family. This is a Godlike attitude.

The enemy of human souls keeps people at loggerheads and exacerbates conflict to keep people weak and exclusive in thought. He encourages us to think we are more than we are, and some people are not good enough or useful enough for our social set. We say we accept all people, but the reality is opposite to that standard. Sidelining people is not the attitude of Christ.

Homes should be places where people are accepted, no matter their abilities or what they do. Shutting people out is no use. Keeping each other together but at arms length is not the way it should be either, and it makes us miserable. Each should watch out for the other, so that when we inevitably stumble and even fall, we have a loving person to help us to our feet and lift us up again. Also in the family of Christ.

When people decide to go their own way, it is hard to watch them go and harder to try to keep some kind of relationship going. But Christ requires us to keep reaching out… keep forgiving… as He has done for us. He went all the way to death for our sake. So should we for husbands, wives, children, friends. It’s a tall order and many fall by the wayside and give up, but if we would know Him, then this is the path.

We all have resources of some sort, and we pray for the desire, to treat each other as honoured people, and to give and find acceptance in our families and fellowships. Not in a spoiling and elaborate way, but just to show that you have spent time and effort thinking of a loved one.

How we treat each other matters- in families, church, neighbours, colleagues- so may we look at Christ and copy Him.