Let's Honor Marriage!

 

                                                    Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash

"I do!" is the famous pledge at marriage between a man and a woman on their wedding day, uttered by both proclaiming their commitment to one another for life. Lifelong is the intent, defined "as long as you both shall live."  God is the creator of all things, including marriage and and its lifelong plan.  Death dissolves  that union, allowing one to marry another.  Through God, marriage can be the lifelong love story that God created most of us for.  God created sexual passions!  He knows we are best fulfilled sexually in marriage because he designed us to thrive in the foundation of commitment.  Marital bliss is much more than just sexual.  Oneness is created through bonds of communication, friendship, and love.

I know it is 2024 and some say "Why marry?  How can you teach to wait for marriage before being sexual?"  My response is, "Why not?"  Let's consider what we see happening in the world around us: divorce rate stays higher than in the past, teenage pregnancy is high, abortion rates are high, single parent family numbers are surging, people report higher rates of loneliness, and suicide is growing.  Maybe as a society we are missing something?  This is all in the background of marriage being chosen less, honored less and lived less the way God intended.  The consequences of these attitudes are seen beyond our borders as well.  As we derail God's plan, humanity pays a price.  

Here are some scriptures to think about:

Hebrews 13: 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Genesis 2: 24 (and quoted in Ephesians 5: 31) For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Ephesians 5: 25-33  Read the whole passage - it's worth it!

Revelation 19:7  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.

Start with Me

                                                              

 

Matthew 19:13-15  The little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.  But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  

Parents and grandparents have the amazing opportunity to bring their beloved children close to Jesus so that they can learn who he is and connect with him.  How can we do this?  Such a great question!  It must begin with us being close to Jesus!  I'd like to suggest we take the time to ask ourselves a couple key questions.

First: how much am I going to God in Bible study and putting his Word into practice?  The Bible clears our minds and inspires us to be godly.  Need help with my temper?  Get into the Bible.  Need courage?  Go to the Bible.  Any issue of character can be addressed with his Word working on me through the Holy Spirit.  Deuteronomy 6: 5-9 teaches us to love God with all our heart, soul and strength and to impress his commands on our children in a 24/7 daily way. As I see, feel, hear, and know the Lord, my relationship with God becomes palpable to the children.  Children learn what they see in us as we have opportunity to be with them.  

The second key question I believe is this: how much am I praying to understand the spiritual needs of my children (and grandchildren) so I can impress the things they need into their hearts?  The world is a different place from when we were children, but God has not changed, nor has his Word.  What is right before God is the same no matter what the world is saying.  How do we engage our children?  This requires wisdom from God. We must pray.  Certain things are still clear such as teaching them the scriptures and the love God has for them.  However, engaging their hearts will take being brave and realizing all that is barging into their lives.  We will need to be willing to go there with them to bring God's truth to them.  Our own openness and humility will be crucial in this effort. 

Jesus says to bring the children to him.  He will do the saving work in their lives.   

Welcome!

This is the Bridge Church of Christ's new blog "Learning the Way".  We invite you to look for wisdom in the Bible and then check back here for more advice. Topics like Marriage, Parenting, Evangelism, Salvation and more will be discussed.  As always contact us using the form at the bottom of this page with any comments or questions.