Tag: Marriage

Stay as You Are

If you are unmarried or you are widowed, stay that way. There is no reason to get in a hurry to change your current relationship status. You should be focusing your desire on the LORD and not on another partner.

“37But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well.” – 1 Corinthians 7:37 (ESV)

In this passage from 1 Corinthians, Paul is speaking directly to those who may have lost a spouse or those who may be engaged to be married. The above verse is referencing the idea that our desire should be in check, either we satisfy our physical desire by marrying so we can get back to desiring the LORD, or that we have our desire on the LORD and our physical wants are of much less consequence. Either way, our desire should be on the LORD and not on the physical.

I know for me, it is great to have a wife of 28 years that satisfies my physical wants. I do not need to look elsewhere and can focus on the LORD with my desire. I am content staying where I am. I know of others who have been engaged for a good time and are content to stay there as they grow spiritually. I recently witnessed a couple engaged to be married who have focused on the LORD and one of them was baptized, declaring publicly dedication to the LORD and the other in the relationship was beaming with joy. I say all of this in that the LORD would rather us stay where we are than get caught up in the wants of the flesh. But, make no mistake, that if being married helps with satisfying the physical so that one can get back to the desire of the LORD, then marriage is good, as long as it is rooted in the LORD.

All we do should be for the benefit of your relationship with the LORD. It is not for our own wants physically. It is for the glory of the LORD. Whether that is being married or remaining single, all is to keep us focused on the LORD. I say, stay where you are and get your desire for the LORD to the top of your things to do list before another.

What are you focused on in relationships? Are you looking to fully satisfy your physical at all costs? What if you were to take the approach to stay where you are and focus your desire on the LORD before another?

Honor Marriage

I certainly did not expect to read up on marriage this morning and especially in the realm of sex and marriage.

“4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” – Hebrews 13:4 (ESV)

Lori and I have been married for over 27 years. I love her dearly and only want to please her. Has our marriage been all sunshine and rainbows, that would be a resounding NO. There have been some really difficult times to deal with in our household and our relationship, as I expected and know is the same for all marriages. But, we made a promise to each other and to God, in front of a good number of witnesses that we would be in it for the long haul, and through the good and the bad. We are devoted to one another and to the sanctity of our marriage and that promise made years ago.

I believe that our relationship has lasted as long as it has and will continue to last is due to promises made. Not just the one made for our marriage, but the promise made to follow God in our marriage. The promise made to God in our individual life. The promise God made of salvation. All of these and many more are the reasons for our relationship success.

As I have mentioned before, my study of God’s Word is just following the topic led to from the concordance. I am currently in a study of the word “honor” and allow God to lead my learning for the day on that topic. This morning I was led to Hebrews 13 and the passage titled “Sacrifices Pleasing to God”. The verse above is where the word “honor” is, and I am led this morning to dive into this verse.

The title of the passage in Hebrews is a window into where I am going this morning. One of the things that are challenging with promises, is the keeping of them. There are sacrifices that may be required. And sometimes those sacrifices may not be easy to make.

I want to be clear here. I am not a proponent of sexual promiscuity. I will not promote the societal way of thinking that multiple partners is okay. What I will say is that it is clear in God’s Word that the promise of marriage is one that includes devotion to one another in the bedroom as well as everywhere else.

In reference to verse 4 above, it is the promise of sexual dedication to one another where there is sacrifice. I know, there is sacrifice in being dedicated sexually to your spouse? Yes, especially when you think of the openness of today’s societal thinking. It is acceptable in today’s world to see sex as a carnal instinct and that devotion to one other person as counter to that instinct. Well, it may be acceptable in this world, but it is not acceptable in God’s world. A promise was made and in order to uphold that promise, there needs to be sacrifice in this world.

Marriage is to be honored by all. Those outside of the relationship should hold marriage in high regard and pay the honor that is due to those in that relationship. Those who are married should honor the marriage with their sacrifice to give up those things of the societal world and devote to one another. All should sacrifice to ensure that they are doing those things that are pleasing to God as those promises are to be kept most of all.

What promises were made in your marriage? Are you still looking for ways to have it all without sacrifice? What if you took your marriage and honored it as you would honor your relationship with God?