Soon, my wife and I will celebrate our 24th year of marriage. When I look back, I truly can’t believe that it has been that long. However, for those of you that know us, I am sure you will understand that there are probably days when she looks back and says, “Yes, it’s been nearly a quarter of a century.”
Recently at our RMG, some of the men were talking about the silly things we get into arguments about with our wives. I tried to comfort the younger men by sharing, “Once you cross the twenty-year mark, things get much easier. What used to take us two days to resolve, now only takes about two minutes. We just don’t have the energy to be mad as long.”
While that may be a truism, it is not sound theological advice by any means. And it certainly is not the measure for a healthy marriage. I was being facetious at the time, and I did follow up my quip by sharing that by the grace of God, our marriage is more alive, more fun, more meaningful and deeper than ever before. And, each year, it becomes more so. We are truly excited about growing older together!
What we have – and again, solely by the grace of God – is becoming an anomaly in an almost “anti-marriage” culture. But, we as Believers are called to this kind of marriage, a marriage that reflects the love of Christ and the functioning relationship of the Trinity.
In fact, my wife and I recently experienced something wonderful. A young lady that we know has come to the Lord! We learned that one of the reasons she was attracted to Christ was our home and marriage. She did not know such a thing could exist. Little did we know that as we sat around being “husband and wife” we were evangelizing. It is both humbling and sobering.
So, what is the key to a God-designed marriage? It’s easy: just read Ephesians 5:22-33 and live it out daily. Well, the “reading it” part is easy; it’s the “living it” part that seems to be elusive. Yet, an answer to the “living it” part is just around the corner!
We are very excited that beginning in April, the elders will be presenting a seven-week marriage series in all of the RMGs! If you have not found and RMG or are not attending one regularly – this is a GREAT time to start!
Married, single, wanna-be married, liking singlehood… this series is for you. Marriage is another means by which we can glorify God. Whether for our own sakes or that of others, this is solid Biblical truth that we need in a world that has declared war on marriage.