“…I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted...”

                                                                                                            2 Corinthians 11:2b-3a

 

It's time to guard our hearts, carefully

 

Marriage is a wonderful relationship. I’ve been married to Sam for 39 years, 8 months, 26 days and approximately 2 hours ☺It’s the BEST relationship, but it’s taken a lot of work.

 

Paul reminds the Corinthians, in this second letter to them, that they are the bride of Christ. That reminder is for us, too. We ARE the bride of Christ, and that marriage relationship takes work just like our earthly marriages.

 

In this letter, Paul expresses his fear that the Corinthians will not be attentive enough to their relationship with Christ, and therefore, other things will creep in and steal their hearts away. None of us wants that to happen, but the truth is, it can happen easier than we want to believe it can if we allow it to.

 

Alistair Begg wrote a book called Lasting Love: How To Avoid Marital Failure. On the back of the book, this statement is made:

 

            It’s no mystery why marriages fail. They fail because couples forget basic steps. No one enters into marriage with the intention of failing. Each person who says “I do” hopes for a long and beautiful future.

 

            But as time passes, couples forget the basics. Too often they become so wrapped up in their own lives that they neglect the essentials critical to marriage.

 

           As married couples, we cannot let down our guard. We must be firm in resisting anyone or anything that will draw our affections away from our spouse. Marriages can last for a lifetime.

 

There isn’t a better way to look at our “marriage to Christ,” than by applying this same line of thought. We can’t forget the basic steps.

 

We can’t get so caught up in our own living that we forget to spend time with Jesus: to talk with Him, to tell Him about our day, to discuss our dreams of the future, to ask His opinion, to just be with Him… We can’t let our guard down and let our affections be drawn away by anyone or anything! We can’t live on the edge of temptation. We need to burrow in, make a final commitment, and do everything we can to enhance and deepen and enrich our relationship to Christ.

 

My marriage to Sam is awesome, but the truth is, it could be a disaster. It could be miserable. It could be non-existent... With the commitment we made to each other on October 29th, 1976, came the commitment to work 24/7, 365 days a year (with a few leap years thrown in) to make our marriage the very best it can be, and it is. So after 14,513 days and counting, I’m more in love with Sam than I ever have been. Our commitment to our “spiritual marriage” can be no less!

 

Reminder: I am the bride of Christ, and this marriage will take everything I am to be a great one, one that lasts for all eternity.