The internet is an extremely powerful tool that the world cannot live without (or so we think). It gives civilization the ability to collaborate, bring together new ideas, learn things we didn’t know about, and endless possibilities. The truth about our culture is tragic in the sense of what doing a quick Google search yields.
As I opened the lid to my laptop tonight, searching Google for a bible study, I started typing in a few other search terms. The results were saddening. I found the truth about Googling for a spouse and the sad results it brought up. Google has the feature of auto-filling the rest of your search term and here are two that came up as I was typing:
I wanted to read what others have to say about starting new couples’ Bible studies, which books to read, how to start my wife and I reading the Bible. What horribly sad results came up for me. Every single result was disheartening.
My First Search & Results:
“How to get your wife to cheat” was the very first one! “How to get your wife to lose weight. Or to get your wife to leave you, trust you, respect you.” — The worst ones of all, of course, was getting your wife to leave you or to cheat on you. The others were disheartening as well. When I think about the results “trust you” and “respect you”, I think to myself: ‘shouldn’t these already be a default when you get married?’ Shouldn’t your wife already trust you and respect you, that’s what made her want to marry you in the first place?
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Or even perhaps the most important set of verses about marriage:
Marriage Like Christ and the Church
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
If Christ’s perfect example of love, should be the example of your marriage… why should you have to search the internet for tips on how to make your wife trust and respect you? Out of love, your wife should do that already. Just as you are to love your wife, cherish her, as Christ does His Bride, the Church. The truth about our culture and what we search for is tragic.
My Second Search:
The second search was to narrow down further: how to get your spouse (in this case wife) to read the Bible. My result:
An autocorrection showing the highest related search result was for the wife to get her own husband to read the Bible. How sad! Husbands, we should be leading our wives to the Lord through our own daily walk with Christ, not having them search Google on how to get us to read Scripture. We need to be in His Word, seeking direction and wisdom, and disciplining ourselves so that we can walk in a manner worthy of our calling. (Eph. 4:1) Our calling as men, husbands, and fathers of the faith are to lead our wives, children, and ourselves to a life that is in Christ’s likeness. He is the way, the truth, and the life! John 14:6
Now, I’m not one to say I have succeeded in this role, but I can say I recognize an opportunity here and that is to lead myself in daily prayer and reading so that I know how to lead my beloved wife to holiness, godliness, and sanctification in the Lord.
Husbands, Fathers… I challenge you to do the same!
