Monday, February 13, 2012

...about the covenant of marriage...


I mentioned in an earlier post that once you make a covenant with someone your life can never be the same. God makes covenants (promises) and keeps them. We, here on earth, seem to have a bit of a problem with that.

Marriage is one example of a covenant. People stand in front of God and man and vow to love, cherish and obey “til death do us part”. Marriage is quickly becoming a thing of the past because we simply can’t keep a promise like that on our own. God is the only one who can give us the strength and determination to fulfill these vows. If BOTH people are not committed  and surrendered to Him, then many times it seems hopeless. Sometimes it is hopeless. God said, in II Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” Unfortunately, we don’t always heed God’s word, and he makes allowance for this in I Corinthians 7:15, where when speaking of marriage between believers and non-believers, he encourages the believer to stay and try to work the marriage out. And then adds,
“But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”
            What is so very sad is that there are so many lost people in our churches today and much of the time you can’t tell the difference between believers and the world. Sometimes believers meet someone in church and think, “This is great, we both love the Lord and each other,” only to discover later that the person they married is not who they thought they were.
The fact that the divorce rate is higher in churches than outside only confirms the fact that people are not getting exactly what they expected. Have you ever had that? You think you are taking a drink of an ice cold coke, and actually it’s unsweet tea? Yuk!
When it comes down to it, life is never what you expect. Even if providence hands you a godly wife or husband, everyone has their moments, or days, or weeks or years. Life is not like a romance novel or the latest chic flick. Life is all about giving up the remote, cleaning up puke, going to McDonalds instead of Outback, getting a toaster instead of diamond earrings for your birthday. Get over it. Remember, love keeps no record of wrongs. Do something nice for your mate, they may not appreciate it, but it will definitely make you feel better.
The fact that marriages fail are not an excuse to abandon marriage. God instituted this covenant, and the problem is not with Him!

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