COmmitment Day Two
COmmitment Day Two
Commitment To Our Marriage
I remember when I met my father-in-law for the first time, he was working on a house during the winter. He had a full beard, stocking cap, and stood about 6'2". I thought he was grizzly Adams. To say I was a bit intimidated, would be a slight downplaying of how I felt at that moment. I had a healthy respect for honoring his daughter. But let's face it men, when we put those rings on, we aren't so worried about our father-in-law. For a time, it is easy to honor our commitment, but over time, did it stay easy? You spent most of your life without a spouse, and now, you must not only share everything, but you must also love her, with a devotional love that goes beyond emotion, but a commitment that expands "till death do you part." We see what our role is in Scripture, we are to honor our wives, protect them, care for them, and love them, as God loves them. Remember He loves her. He expects you to love her. But there are things that distract us from that commitment. It's our work. Our kids. Our selfish desires, such as lust, which can be for looking at other women, chasing a car, a job, or a dream....all distracting.
You may make the case that your wife doesn't love you, or the passion isn't there. There are some very good books on building strong marriages. There are also great Christian counselors. So I'm not going to drop a bunch of psychology here. Let's just focus on the commitment that we find in Scripture as the anchor. God loves us, despite our sin. He loves us enough, He sacrificed His Son for us. Jesus came down as a baby, rather than sitting at the right hand of the Father. He lived 33 years on earth, with us. He then endured a brutal beating for us. He then endured death and separation on the cross...for us. He committed to it, not for His sake, but for ours. That's the level of commitment we are to strive for. Our wives submit to us, but the expectation is that we love them as God loves us. You want a joy filled marriage? Honor God and honor your wife. You won't always find this emotionally happiness everyday, but you will find Joy. Most wives want a husband to love them, as they are. They want to be first, after the Lord. First before even your kids. First before your job, your dreams, etc. That's a heck of a commitment, but we aren't we here to serve? What did Jesus do? He came to serve. If you are a Christian, then you've already made the commitment to run this race.
I've been married 25 years, and my wife and I have had plenty of hills and valleys. We have struggles, we have our challenges, but we have far more wonderful times together. If we had given up, at any stage, we wouldn't have had all five of our children. We wouldn't enjoy our first grandchild. There are many firsts that we have had together, ones that have come with wonderful Joy, had we not been committed to the race together. The thing about a race, especially a long one, is man, do you get tired. I remember my one and only half marathon (I'd like to run a full same day), and I remember falling behind the pacer. I was a good few hundred feet behind them and I thought, I'm going to end up over where I wanted to be. I was able to dig down and get back to it. I finished ahead of the pacer ultimately, because I was committed. I hurt. I was tired. I also knew I wanted to finish the race. When I crossed that finish line, I felt awesome. Anywhere during the 13 miles I could have given up, but had I, I never would have finished and experienced the Joy.
That's how marriage will be. You'll find yourself going downhill, feeling great. Other times, it will be uphill, but remember, there is an end to this race. It is standing in Glory. You honor your wife, you will be honored before Him. Stand firm in that commitment! "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,..." FYI, we are the church....so He did that for us!
Ephesians 5:25
1 Peter 3:7
2 Timothy 4:7
Day Two Challenge
Write down three things that you love about your wife. Maybe that is easy for you, or maybe it's hard. Nevertheless, dig deep and find it. You would have found at least three things about her you liked when you first met, start there if you are having trouble! And then, take those three things, find your wife and share them with, and with no expectations. Leave it on her pillow, her car seat, or the bathroom mirror. That's your challenge for today. In the words of one of my favorite podcasters, "DO IT NOW! NOW I SAY!."