He's all I've got in this world!

When my husband and I were on our cruise a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice the loud music that is always playing in the background on different areas of the ship. I guess it is part of Carnival's culture of fun. Well, one of the songs that I heard twice was one performed by Whitney Houston. As I listened to her beautiful, booming voice belt out these lyrics, I couldn't help but notice that I was singing along, but I was singing her words to Jesus:

"He builds me up,
He gives me love,
More love than I've ever seen.

He's all I've got,
He's all I've got in this world;

But He's all the man I'll ever need."

This absolutely defines my heart for Jesus, the lover of my soul. He is all the man I'll ever need. I am rock solid in my confidence that He is passionately pursuing and totally in love with me. This kind of love has transformed my life. It has also changed the way I view my relationship with my husband. Ironic that this came to my mind at this time, considering the purpose of our cruise was to spend some much needed alone time together and enjoy each other and build up our marriage.

Yes, I absolutely have a wonderful husband and he is a gift from God, to me; a nice added bonus considering many women never experience great marriages while on this earth. You see, Jesus satisfies me completely, heals all of my insecurities, He is my rock, my savior, my redeemer, my restorer, my prince charming, my best friend. He is perfect because He is God and God is Love! If I were to look solely to my earthly husband for these things, I would be setting myself up for disappointment because, my husband is a human being just like me and a sinner, just like me. He treats me beautifully and respects me and is a wonderful father and provider, but He is not God to me. He is a great person, but imperfect, just like me.

You must understand, I spent the first 28 years of my life "looking for perfect love in all the wrong places" - searching for all of those qualities I listed above in whatever man was in my life at the time. Guess what? They all failed me. Those poor guys - they never had a chance to succeed in pleasing me because none of them were God. I was trying to fill the God-shaped hole in my heart with something or someone that would never do the trick.


Finally, now that I live in the realization of who I am in Christ, I have let men "off the hook" - including my husband. Our marriage is so much more secure, so much more relaxed and so much more fun because the pressure is not on him to be my everything.

As Beth Moore puts it, "Yes, we should love our husbands with everything we've got but we must love God first, then we can be healthy enough to love our husbands well."

I never want to be too needy for my husband. If I am, then that is evidence that I am not getting all of my needs met by the only one who can meet every one of them - Jesus Christ!

Psalm 45:10-11
"Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say.
Forget your people and your family far away.
For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord."

So when you are hurt, when you are offended, when you are let down - just take it to God - the perfect love of your lifetime. He will meet your deepest needs right there where you stand. Then, you will be free to go a little easier on the people in your life whose imperfections rub you the wrong way. I am still working on this in my life and by no means do I have it all figured out but one thing is for sure, He is especially fond of me!

And guess what? He is especially fond of you too!!!