Christian Living
Marriage is not for the faint-hearted; not for ‘Bended-Knee Drinkers’.
These days when I hear people say “I’ve been married for 50years” I quickly reach for the binoculars to answer for myself some very pertinent questions. Do you mean cohabiting, longlasting trial marriage, permanent alternative to marriage arrangement or true marriage?
Marriage is not for the faint-hearted. And despite the common challenges encountered in marriages which are often linked to finances, sex, communication and extended family intrusions, the gains of true longlasting marriages far outweighs the problems.
Good marriage relationships have been associated with legal, financial, health and social benefits. They also provide comfortable environments to raise well-balanced children who will be future leaders. For a Christian, irrespective of how good a marriage you have, marriage tests your understanding of agape. Given that there are no obvious threats to life and wellbeing, we can choose to view challenging periods in our marriage relationships as yet another opportunity to grow in love.
God ordained marriage, so it is a good thing. But you know, with everything that a good marriage relationship can offer, marriage is not for the faint-hearted, it is not a journey for Bended-Knee Drinkers, indeed, no true long-standing relationship is.
Agape tests your understanding of First Corinthians 13: 4-7…
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” I Corinthians 13:4-7,
This is what LOVE must translate into for every Christian.
In Judges chapter 7, God told Gideon, your troop of 32,000 men to go up against the Midianites is a crowd, conduct a 2-stage sampling. Offer any man who is afraid the opportunity to return home; a shocking 22,000 men stepped down. Second stage; seperate those who lap or directly cup water in their hands to drink at the water, from those who bend to drink; only 300 men remained afterwards.
When I think of God’s selection process in Judges 7, the 300 men didn’t make the listing because they were the strongest of the 32,000. It seems to me that God’s choice of the lappers was because their action communicated a more alert and battle-ready disposition than the knee-benders who took care to position themselves comfortably before drinking.
The bended-knee drinkers had their attention on themselves while the lappers were conscious of the battle at hand; they were victory-conscious.
You know, while God’s choice vessels are usually people judged as weak by human and worldly standards, He always intentionally chooses those who can make room for the expression of His Might, Power and Glory through them (1 Corinthians 1:27-31). Yes God loves to walk with ‘victory-lovers’ but more importantly He goes for those who draw strength for battle from Him and are careful enough to return the glory of the victory to Him.
Friends, the focus must always be God (Hebrews 12:2).
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2,
To make it to the finish line in marriage, husbands must LOVE AS CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH and wives must SUBMIT AS UNTO THE LORD (Ephesians 5:22-25).
At every point, the focus must be ‘AS CHRIST LOVES and ‘AS UNTO THE LORD.
Agape sees people as God sees them.
There’s something selfless and yet supernatural about approaching life, relationships with this attitude.
Shalom!
Keep winning through love.
