One of the great mysteries of the Bible is the connection between Jesus and the Church in a marriage. A husband is exhorted to love his wife in the same manner that Christ loves the Church (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus literally laid down His life for the Church. How many husbands actually do that for their wife?
Many people get frustrated with their mate’s idiosyncrasies, or they find someone they are more drawn to and they opt out of their marriage to return to the “single” lifestyle. However, there is not a problem in a person or a marriage that cannot be resolved with intentional counseling and mutual submission.
Except in life-threatening or abusive situations, there is no reason good enough to justify divorcing one’s mate. It is a lazy, superficial, self-centered person who sees no other option than divorce. They are unwilling to work at becoming one flesh. A time of separation and a forgiving heart may help to iron out even the worst marital issues. Separation does not help if one or both parties will not communicate and work out their issues.
Reserving nothing for Himself, Jesus gave His life for His Bride before we even knew or loved Him. His love is unconditional, regardless of our behavior, attitude, or expressions. He will never, ever leave or forsake us for any reason or in any way (Hebrews 13:5). Spouses are to follow suite and care for one another’s physical, emotional, mental, financial, and spiritual needs despite the reception we receive from our mate.
The husband honors the wife as the weaker vessel, and he protects her from the pain and confusion of the world (1 Peter 3:7). He listens to her and cares about what she cares about. The wife respects and encourages her husband. She keeps his home and cares for his children. Each couple should pray for one another, even when they disagree with the direction their mate is going; although we do have the option to separate for a time if we feel threatened in any way.
There is no man or woman alive who does not grab his/her toe when it is stubbed, or jerks away from something hot, or cringes from a hand raised in anger. We are to protect one another in the same way that we love and protect our self (Ephesians 5:28-33). We care about each other’s needs, often anticipating them before the desire is even expressed. If we both totally surrender our will to His, God will help us to work out every negative issue in our marriage as long as both mates are willing to go the extra mile for each other.
Prayer:
Father God, You give us a perfect example of loving a flawed mate. Israel failed You over and over; and yet, You continually loved her and honored Your commitment to her. Remind us to feel each other’s pain and confusion as if they were our own, and never to break our marriage vows to one another - even when, over the years, we do not like one another very much anymore.
Give us fresh eyes to see and to appreciate our mate’s strengths, and to change our focus about their failings and idiosyncrasies. We can view the negative aspects with patience and humor, rather than anger and bitterness. Remind us that taking a daily searching inventory of our negative feelings and thoughts will help us to resolve any issues before they turn into mountains from molehills. The mountains are hard to traverse, and they often seem impossible to climb. We rely on You to meet our needs, and we love You with our whole heart and soul.
Thought for the Day:
There is no one that loves us better, or cares for our welfare more than Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, because He laid down His life to bring us salvation, and He rose again from the dead to give us eternal redemption. He gave His life for us, and we give our life back to Him in His service in His Kingdom.
– Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 1-4
