Monday, January 31, 2011

Marriage Is Like Christ and the Church

It seems there are more and more marriages breaking up now than any other time in my life.  Divorce is a common experience in today’s society.  Sadly, the problem has magnified significantly even among members of the body of Christ.  In many instances where the marriage is not terminated by divorce, there is tension, bickering, and unhappiness.  The couple may stay together, but they are miserable.  This is not the way God intended for married people to live.  Marriage was ordained by God for man’s emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual benefit.  It can be all of that provided we pattern our marriage relationships after the example of Christ and His bride, the church.
Just as the church is to be submissive to the headship of Christ, so ought wives to have a submissive love for their husbands (Eph. 5:22-24).  This would eliminate power struggles in marriage.  Christ loved the church with a sacrificial love and died for her (Eph. 5:25).  When marriage partners have that kind of love for each other it promotes a serving attitude toward one another rather than a wanting to be served attitude.  A husband is to have a caring love for his wife that is unselfish (Eph. 5:28).  He nourishes and cherishes his wife in the same way that he cares for his own body.  Such promotes kindness and tenderness in a marriage.  Spouses are to have an unbreakable love for one another (Eph. 5:31).  Many approach marriage with a view that says, “’Til death do us part or something else comes along.”  Most all marriages face some bumps along the way.  The road isn’t always smooth, but taking the vows of commitment seriously will help us get over the bumps by working together on the problems.  In such cases divorce is never considered as a viable option.  I am hoping your marriage is one filled with love, joy, excitement, and a sense of purpose as you help one another get to heaven.

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