Marriage is for keeps

[Giskat09 2]

Matthew 19:6, “They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate”

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Marriage can be one of the most blessed or most miserable relationships. If you have been married for any length of time, you know that despite what you have heard in countless fairy tales, there is no guarantee that people who get married will live happily ever after or even stay married. Things go wrong, even with the best intentions, and we may find ourselves in a house full of resentment, hostility, unrest, and misery. Different backgrounds, contrasting personalities, varying likes and dislikes, and irritating habits can quickly transform the fondest dreams into the wildest nightmares. Differences that are tolerable and even amusing in casual relationships can become seemingly impossible irritants in marriage, and disagreements in spiritual matters can be the most difficult of all. However, we must recognize that God is not only the architect of marriage but also the One who holds it together. A marriage should be made up of three people: a wife, a husband, and Jesus Christ. The foundation of a Christian marriage needs to be a commitment to love and honor the Lord. Jesus is the one that brings lasting stability to a new relationship, and He can revive the love in a faltering one. Take for example the following illustration … on the day after their wedding; the honeymooners were visiting Niagara Falls. In the evening, they watched the thundering cascades of water plunge over the rocky cliffs, and they walked hand in hand in the romantic glow of a full moon. The starry-eyed bride stopped, looked lovingly into her dream-man’s eyes, and exclaimed, “Just think 50 years from yesterday; we’ll be celebrating our Golden Anniversary!” Her comment may bring a smile to our faces, but that bride had the right idea. To her, marriage was a permanent relationship. It was not some trial arrangement. Its continuing existence was not conditioned on the whims of the partners involved. No, she had entered into a lifelong contract. Marriage is the most blessed of all human relationships. The union of husband and wife is unique. Jesus declared, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one” (Mark 10:7). Moreover, because of this, our Lord concluded, “Therefore what God has joined together let no man separate.

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Further thoughts:

Most of us would prefer a successful and fulfilling marriage that just happens by itself; however, a growing marriage requires effort, patience, prayer and the presence of Jesus Christ. The divine commands for husbands and wives in Ephesians 5:22-23 are the framework for success in marriage, and when the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians, he asked husbands and wives to turn their thoughts to their relationship with the Son of God, because in Him we find undying love and forgiveness for our failures. In Him we find Someone who loves to forget the worst and bring out the best. He reminds us not of what we've lost but of what we have yet to find. While our society encourages divorce on the grounds of incompatibility and unhappiness, you will find in the book of Malachi, "The LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce." God calls us and wants us to work at our relationship with Him, and with the person we promised to love and cherish unto death do us part, thus marriage is for keeps and for life!

For better or for worse, we pledge,

Through sickness and through strife;

And by the help and grace of God

We'll keep these vows for life … DJD

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(1) Maybe you are contemplating marriage? If so, as you make your plans, do so thoughtfully and prayerfully, and before you tie the knot, make sure you are one in the Lord.

(2) Or maybe you have been married for many years, if so, remember that God expects you to honor your wedding vows. Marriage is for keeps!

(3) Jesus Christ is the only third party in a marriage who can make it work.

[Ken y Leidys 20]

and disagreements in spiritual matters can be the most difficult of all..

My ex-wife joined a Japanese cult called SGI, so I completely relate. If I were Scientology-inclined, it would have worked out, but...