Marriage is under great attack in our culture these days, and unfortunately also within Christendom. Marriage, which was created by God to i...
Marriage is under great attack in our culture these days, and unfortunately also within Christendom. Marriage, which was created by God to illustrate His self-sacrificing love for His people, has been deeply marred through selfishness and sin.
Instead of being about our holiness, we've decided marriage is about our happiness. Therein lies the problem.
So how do we fix this divorce epidemic? More teachings on divorce? More studying about divorce statistics?
What we need is a greater commitment to God-honoring marriages. When we choose to honor God through our marriages, divorce will exit the conversation. Using the acronym "MARRIAGE," here are eight marriage principles from scripture that will help us honour God through the covenant of marriage:
Instead of being about our holiness, we've decided marriage is about our happiness. Therein lies the problem.
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| Marriage is under great attack in our culture these days, and unfortunately also within Christendom. Marriage, which was created by God to illustrate His self-sacrificing love for His people, has been deeply marred through selfishness and sin. |
What we need is a greater commitment to God-honoring marriages. When we choose to honor God through our marriages, divorce will exit the conversation. Using the acronym "MARRIAGE," here are eight marriage principles from scripture that will help us honour God through the covenant of marriage:
- Make Jesus the center. (Matthew 22:37-40) When we choose to love God with our heart, mind and soul, and love our spouse as we love ourselves, all other marriage principles hang on that. In fact, without Jesus at the center, the rest of our "marriage tips" turn into a self-help marriage seminar (we'll leave that up to Oprah & Dr. Phil). On a practical level, the most effective way to make Jesus the center of your marriage is by making Him the center of your life. As husband and wife, grow closer to Jesus personally, they will in turn grow closer to each other.
- Accept and embrace your role. (Ephesians 5:21-33) Husbands are called to love their wives, which can't effectively happen from the couch with the game on! There's nothing wrong with the game, but your family shouldn't have to compete against it to be with you. Wives are called to respect their husbands. The submissive role of a wife is not about superiority, but about functionality. Someone has to lead, and God has designed the man to do so. Follow His lead "as unto the Lord."
- Remember forgiveness. (Ephesians 4:2-3) If marriage is a portrayal of the Gospel as the Bible says, then marriage, like the Gospel, should be saturated with forgiveness. As it’s been said, "Marriage is the union of two life-long forgivers." So pull a 1 Corinthians 13 on your spouse and stop keeping a record of wrongs!
- Resolve conflict; don't fight to win. (Ephesians 4:26-27) God knew we'd get angry, so He warned against letting it drag on. The longer we let it fester, the deeper it grows, and the more dangerous it is when it finally comes out. Remember that you're on the same team as your spouse. They are not the enemy!
- Install security through your vocabulary. (1 Corinthians 7:3) According to the Bible, we owe our spouse affection! Life and death are in the power of the tongue, so don't underestimate the power of your words to build up or tear down. Speaking of vocabulary, a really practical way to divorce-proof your marriage is to stop talking about divorce! The looming threat of divorce kills honesty and humility.
- Always pursue each other. (Song of Solomon 7:11-13) If you thought that dating ended when you put a ring on it, you were wrong! Marriage doesn't end the dating scene; it just fine-tunes it. For the rest of your life, you should be on a relentless pursuit of your spouse.
- Give your body to your spouse. (1 Corinthians 7:4-5) Sex was God's idea, and He's not shy about it. If you need some proof, open up Song of Solomon or Proverbs 5, and prepare to get a little sweaty! Sex isn't only intended for procreation, but also pleasure and protection. Lack of sexual fulfillment in a marriage never justifies looking elsewhere, but it often heightens the temptation. So for the love of a God-honouring, long-lasting marriage, get it on!
- Exemplify the Gospel. (Ephesians 5:32) What's the big deal about having God-honoring marriages? The beauty of the Gospel is at stake in your marriage! Why does God hate divorce (Malachi 2:16)? It breaks the picture of God's love that He's trying to paint through marriage!
Here's the bottom line: Whether your marriage is on a mountain peak, in Death Valley or anywhere in between, let it push you closer to Jesus! After all, that's the point of marriage – for us to understand the Gospel on an even deeper level!
Culled from The Leaf Chronicle
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