Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
Have you lost that lovin’ feeling? There are days in even the most successful marriages when being in a loving relationship is challenging. In Jesus we have our “Happily Ever After,” but sometimes the day-to-day sacrifices are difficult.
What happens when the emotions are not the same as they used to be? The world tells us lies about what we “deserve” in life and marriage. Society no longer values the commitment of marriage. When someone is just not happy anymore in marriage, he or she just decides to walk away. We cannot expect those who do not know the Lord to follow His will in marriage. But for those of us who follow Jesus, we sacrifice in love and marriage. And as believers, we must be ready to make a life-long commitment when we say, “I do.”
Gary Chapman, Ph.D., describes Biblical marriage in an article entitled, “Marriage: Covenant or Contract?” Marriage is a legal contract, but it is so much more. Biblical marriage is a covenant. In the Old Testament God established a covenant with his people. A covenant is unending, unconditional, and it is always in the best interest of the other party. This is not a contract, which is put into place to protect self. The world views marriage merely as a contract. It has limits, terms, and conditions. But, we are not of this world.
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband (Eph. 5:33). God is teaching us to let go of self in order to love one another. When two spouses continually put the other first, marriages are blessed. God can work miracles in our relationships, when we seek His face and love as He loves.
Lord, continue to give us strength to love our spouses sacrificially.
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth (Proverbs 5:18).
*Visit Lifeway.com to read the article by Gary Chapman, Ph.D, “Marriage: Covenant or Contract?”
No comments:
Post a Comment