Scriptures: Ephesians 5:21-29, 1 Corinthians 11:3

Husband, your wife can never meet your your expectations. Wife, your husband can never meet your expectations. Here is the more stark truth--God never intended for either the husband or the wife to meet the others' expectations. Then you ask, “Whose expectations are to be met in a marriage?” The answer is “God’s.” Happiness in a marriage always follows a husband who meets God’s expectations for him and a wife who meets God’s expectations for her. The question is, “What are those expectations?”

They are found in Jesus’ mission for the church--and that means each and every believer in the church. Our mission is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and then to love others as ourselves. Do you know how that love toward others looks? When we are serving others, we are loving others. In this message, Dr. Merritt explains why a marriage relationship built on serving one another and Christ is one that will last.

"Serving one another is the key to marital happiness. It is when the husband makes it his goal to serve the wife and the wife makes it her goal to serve the husband. The good news is God has told us exactly what He expects from the husband and the wife and exactly what serving each other looks like. When I meet God’s expectations for my role in my marriage He will meet both of our needs and I can trust God with the results." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: family, children, mother, father, husband, communication, wife, re:union, priority, strength, love, serve, share, parents, purpose, reason, design, instructions, marriage, humility, spouses, serving, reverence, trust, intimacy