3 SECRETS TO FALLING IN LOVE WITH MARRIED LIFE
How To Extend the Honeymoon, When the Honeymoon’s Over.
This past week, we’ve already discussed dating, courtship and engagement; and the competitions that arise between worldly principles and Jesus‘ call to protect the marriage covenant.
So let’s finish our story.
Our couple has (1) fought through the yoke competition and they both love Jesus more than they love each other. Then they (2) fought through the passion competition, choosing Christ’s standard over sexual gratification.
Their reward, they had an amazing wedding day (and an incredible honeymoon). But now they’re both back to work, daily life, and they’re living with each other.
With married life, a new competition is starting to raise its ugly head…
This time, its a competition of understanding.
Understanding what the marriage covenant really is. What does it really mean to live out married life?
On one side, the world sees marriage as an optional legal commitment between two people who love each other. On the other side, the Bible teaches marriage as an earthly representation of Jesus’ eternal commitment with us, the church.
Here’s what you need to know to fall in love with married life.
1. Understand the Relationship Between Jesus and His Bride.
Revelation (the last book of the Bible), is a prophetic book about the end of the world, or “The End Times” in theological terms. The book is a beautiful yet sobering metaphor of what will take place in the last days of earth.
In chapter 19, we read about the most important marriage that has or ever will exist. One verse in particular holds a glorious description of the eternal marriage covenant:
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” (Rev. 19:7)
This verse highlights the love, devotion and commitment that Jesus (often referred to in Scripture as the Lamb of God) has for us, His church (often called His bride). This is an eternal covenant, an eternal union that will never end in divorce.
2. Love Your Bride Like Jesus Loves His Bride.
For the Fellas reading this, the competition of understanding should hit us the hardest.
As men, we’re called to lead like Jesus. The world wants to offer us prenuptial but Scripture tells us that Jesus’ standard for His bride is the standard for our brides.
In Ephesians 5:25-27, this standard is clearly laid out for us:
“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Eph. 5:25-27)
3. Submit To Your Groom As the Church Submits to Her Groom.
For the Ladies, your competition of understanding falls within the realm of a word that this world wants you to forget: Submission.
The world is trying everything to lead you away from your call as a bride. The world calls for you to be independent from your groom, or worse, dominant over your groom. Independent from and dominant over every relational part of your marriage.
Ephesians 5 holds some secrets for brides as well:
“22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Eph. 5:22-24)
