That’s right, my Rib. Rib is the nickname of my wife Robin of almost sixteen years. I called
her that in reference to the wife of the very first man.
And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. (Gen. 2:22)
Lately I have also liked the nickname to a command for husbands found in a passage in Ephesians 5:28 & 29.
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
So rib fits this verse as well. For my rib is from my flesh and naturally I would love my own flesh. But this hasn’t been the case always with my Rib. I have not loved my Rib as I love my own body. I have not loved her as Christ loves His body, the Church. So this is a confession and dedication of sorts. I know, as husbands, it is a struggle against our flesh to love our wives in this way. It seems to me that I have allowed selfishness and passivity to reign more in my life than my love for my wife. I can look around and see some of the consequences for that sin. Some of those consequences may not show up until later in my life. But God and His wonderful grace continues to provide me with new eyes to see, and new ears to hear. In His rich mercy and grace, and through my sanctification, He has filled me with a new sense of love for my Rib. Through sermons, articles, and scripture reading, God’s gentle nudging has been making it very clear that I have not been pursuing the kind of love that Christ has for His bride, the Church. That brings me here.
Today I am dedicating the rest of what God provides as my life to pursuing that kind of love for my Rib. I am promising to love her as Christ loves His Church. I am promising that no matter what comes our way that I will love her as I do my own body. I know that my flesh and Satan will try to tear this covenant apart as they have tried in the past, but I will cling to Christ and His strength and not my own. For I have no strength without Him.
Soli Deo Gloria
Upon This Rawk 