God created this institution called marriage. It is a union that He takes very seriously. I personally believe that after accepting Christ as your personal savior this is one of the next most important decision that a person can make- choosing a life mate. For a decision that is so weighty, we MUST seek the Lord! I don't know any way around this. He knows all. He knows what's in the heart of man and He knows what lies ahead.
I was thinking about marriage this morning (which inspired this post). You have singles who desperately want to get into this union and married couples who desperately want to get out. We run from our single season not wanting to use it to sharpen us and in our married season want to run back to our independence and freedom. LOL, it is car-zy (not crazy) when you think about it! How can we bridge this gap? These two extremes suggest to me that there is a disconnect somewhere.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert and I don't have all the answers. As I inquire of the Lord on this matter, a lot of ideas and thoughts flood my head. What I deduce is that marriage should consist of: two imperfect individuals who have decided to rely solely on the Lord first in their own lives that then decide to unify and to rely solely on the Lord together. I don't believe this institution was created to function appropriately any other way.
We are now seeing the demise of many marriages both in the world and in the church. I believe that the Lord wants to revive and restore marriages especially in the church. But what will it take to get there?
We have to go back to a true dependence and personal relationship with God. It starts and ends there. This relationship includes reading his word to know what His thoughts are. Praying to Him, talking to Him, listening to what He has to say and waiting on Him for further instructions. When we get to this point and realize that we just can't do it without Him, then I believe, we will see true revival and restoration in marriage. The church should be setting an example to the world period not reflecting the same results or stats as it.
Instead of looking at our single season as a curse or not embracing it, use this time wisely. It's fleeting and goes by quickly especially when it's wasted. It can truly be one of the most beautiful time period in your life especially when you can see the treasure in it. Especially when you are able to view it from the Lord's lens. Remember the enemy wants to steal this truth away from you so he makes you want to reject it and feel that you are losing out on something. That is a lie. The fuel that you need to sustain a marriage starts in this single season.
So instead, build and strengthen your relationship with the Lord. Let Him love on you, heal you, talk to you and console you. He will, if you let Him. I'm learning that in our single season our relationship with the Lord should be a reflection of our earthly relationship with our spouse just like our relationship with our spouse should be a reflection of God's relationship with the church. And when we can grab on to that fact in our single season, we will be ready and able to ensure that our marriage will be reflective of what the Lord truly intended it to be. Wowsers, I didn't intend to get this deep guys :) !
Stay tuned...
