Think Like God

Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV)

4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Have you noticed how a declining stock market feeds on itself? As people see their share values go down, they feel the urge to sell. When the herd is selling, prices decline further. The same is true of marriage attitudes. As more children are born into unwed homes, fewer children have a working marriage model to imitate. “Normal” is redefined.

The Pharisees at Jesus’ time (as well as Jesus’ own disciples!) were convinced that lifelong marriage was too heavy an expectation and advocated for quick and easy divorce. They were shocked by Jesus’ strong reaction: “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one” (Matthew 19:4-6).

In other words, marriage doesn’t belong to people to experiment and play with. It belongs to God. It is his invention, designed during creation week itself.

Jesus said that couples are joined together. The phrase in its original Greek means “stuck like glue.” Marriage superglues you to your partner; you are no longer “me” but “we”. In God’s marriage math, one plus one equals one.

Dear Lord, we pray today that in our marriages we would think as we instead of me. We pray that the glue would stick us together and we wouldn’t tear it apart. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

That's once

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

 A joyful heart is good medicine,

    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

I came across a joke that'll surely make the ladies laugh out loud -- and you too men -- that is, if you know what's good for you, lol!

A small-town couple was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and their long, loving relationship had long been the talk of the town. For this special occasion, a local newspaper reporter paid them a visit to inquire as to the secret of their happy marriage.

"Well," explained the husband, "it really all goes back to our honeymoon. We visited the Grand Canyon and took a trip down to the bottom of the canyon by pack mule. We hadn't gone too far when my wife's mule stumbled. My wife quietly said 'That's once.' We proceeded a little farther when the mule stumbled again. Once more my wife quietly spoke: 'That's twice.' We hadn't gone a half-mile when the mule stumbled a third time. My wife promptly removed a revolver from her purse, hopped down off the beast, and shot the mule dead. I began to protest over her treatment of the mule when she looked at me and quietly said, 'That's once.'''

I hope you liked that. Now, I've heard that children laugh 300 to 400 times a day while we adults laugh only a mere 15! Believe it or not, experts say that laughing aids digestion, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, boosts the immune system, triggers the release of endorphins which are the body's natural painkillers, heals broken relationships and produces a general sense of well-being!

Let's not take everything so very seriously! Let's start laughing at ourselves a little, and laughing at our enemy's attempts to keep us burdened and oppressed! God has our victory --always! And there's so much work to be done!

Dear Lord, help us to be so filled with joy that laughter burst forth out of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sacrificial, Committed Love is the rule, not the exception.

Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Her family had come to America from Sweden. She had a typical Scandinavian look... Long blond hair; blue eyes; long slender legs; soft, blemish-free skin; high cheek bones.

She was gorgeous - she was beautiful. In fact, a professional international photographer in her hometown thought she was so pretty that he used a photograph of her to advertise his business.

But that was not her real beauty.

She was raised by some wonderful Christian parents and had become a Christian at an early age. Integrity, honesty and sweetness were just a few of her characteristics. In fact, at her engagement party, her sister, who knew her better than anyone, said that she had never heard her tell a lie. All of her friends said the same thing about her: She was the sweetest girl they knew. She would never speak a harsh word about anyone. Everyone loved to be around her.

A young man she met in her freshman year started dating her and fell in love with her - both her exterior photographic beauty and the wonderful godly character of her inward beauty. She fell in love with him and they spent every free moment they could with each other over the next four years. They were committed to each other and they believed in waiting long before the "True Love Waits" Campaign ever existed.

One week after they graduated from college, they were married. They loved each other's company. They would walk together, exercise together, go on bike rides together, chaperone youth trips together -go to movies, watch TV, eat pizza, travel - all the things any normal couple would love to do together. They were so much in love.

She taught school for a year and then became a bookkeeper for a surgical supply company. One day while she was working, for no apparent reason she lost her balance and fell on the floor. She was later able to get up and went to see a doctor that night. He set her up to see a Neurologist. The following day, it happened again. For no apparent reason, she lost her balance and fell. This time, though, she couldn't get up. She had lost all feeling in her legs. They wouldn't move.

Her husband had to come to the office and pick her up in his arms and carry her to the hospital. After six days in the hospital, the doctor gave this beautiful, active young lady the dreadful news. She had Multiple Sclerosis and she would continue to deteriorate.

This young couple, who had now been married only 18 months - who loved to go everywhere together and do everything together - would now face some new challenges. All their future plans would change, everyday life would change. They would change.

For the next 30 years, this young lady did deteriorate. She had to take steroids (not the kind athletes use, but anti-inflammatory steroids). Her bones became brittle, breaking easily. Her face became puffy and bloated and she could not even put on make-up. Her body was a mess. She went from a walker, to an electric scooter, to a wheelchair. She could no longer feed herself, write her name, or control her own bodily functions. She now had to have someone stay with her 24 hours a day.

If that couple had not had the kind of committed love that's based first on a personal relationship and a commitment to Jesus Christ and second, on a love that's based on a commitment to each other, the marriage never would have lasted. In fact, a large percentage of the marriages where a spouse has MS, the other spouse leaves them. The other spouse won't stay committed to the constant care and the continual physical, psychological and mental changes that continue to occur.

These two people are not heroes. They are not super-saints or super-Christians. They will be the first to tell you that they are not super Christians. Those two people are normal, ordinary people, empowered by the Love of God and a love for each other, to do what the world considers beyond normal and extraordinary.

Her husband says “she's not a hero. I'm not a hero. We're children of God, doing what the children of God are supposed to do. Doing what His children are called to do. Doing what God expects of every man and every woman who make a vow before God on their wedding day.”

Often, Hollywood will portray a "hero" sacrificing his life for his "heroine" in a film. In the world's eyes, he's a hero. In God's eyes, he's an ordinary man making an extraordinary sacrifice that every Christian who's committed to his spouse ought to make. Sacrificial, Committed Love is the rule, not the exception. We're not super-saints, we're not heroes when we're being faithful and committed to our mates. We're doing what God has called every husband and wife to do since the beginning of time.

Dear Lord, we ask that each of us would have the strength to love our spouse as You want us to. No  matter the hard times or situations help us to love like You love us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Protecting our marriage

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Mama bears are affectionate, protective, nurturing, and strict, but if they sense that their cubs are in danger, look out–they’re fierce. But a mama bear will go to great lengths to protect her cubs. In the same way we need to protect our marriage. We need to go to great lengths, do whatever it takes to protect and defend our marriage.

With that in mind, let’s look at Seven things we can start to protect our marriage:

1. Pray often and pray together – We have been given the incredible opportunity to enter the throne room, and bring our marriage before the King of all Kings. When we stop to consider how valuable this gift is, you have to wonder why it’s ever a last resort.

2. Pay attention to each other’s needs – Unresolved hurt and anger can take root in a person’s heart. Communicate wisely by listening to each other and being sensitive to the needs of your spouse.

3. Be careful about outside relationships – Innocent friendships can easily escalate between men and women. Honor God and honor your spouse by keeping a safe distance.

4. Add a little fun to your relationship - no matter how long you've been married, notes in lunch boxes, tucked in pieces of luggage, or placed under the visor of the car are always appreciated. And in this technological age, it's so easy to send an e-mail or text message to tell your spouse of your love.

5. Pull back the reigns on social media – Don’t let the internet become a priority in your home. Practice putting down your phone when you’re together and closing the laptop for some face-to-face time.

6. Regularly remember why you married your spouse. What character qualities drew you to your mate? Write a love letter reminding your spouse why you married him/her and express your lifelong commitment. You may want to share this letter over a candlelight dinner.

7. Control Your Thoughts – Don’t keep a mental record of wrongs. Don’t harbor resentment. Don’t feed unforgiveness. Don’t entertain thoughts of divorce. Don’t entertain thoughts of infidelity. Control your thoughts by taking them captive. Don’t let your thoughts control you–control them. Bring them into obedience. Defy them with the truth of scripture. Stand strong as we read in James 4:7 tells us to, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Yes–those thoughts can be defeated. Keep fighting.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the example of marriage that You demonstrate with the church. We pray for the strength to protect our marriage. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Careless or Faithful?

1 Corinthians 10:13  (NIV)

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Jack and Jim were madly in love. They had each met the girl of their dreams, and though they lived in different cities and different states, their stories will be an eye-opener to the novice as well as the mature followers of Christ.

These men both eventually married the girls they had chosen. During the first months, their lives were lived in complete bliss. Neither had ever dreamed it possible that such a wonderful, kind, caring person as their wife could exist on planet earth. Their dreams had been fulfilled. No one would ever dare steal what God had given them!

As in most marriages, Jack and Jim both experienced ups and downs, and their busy lives kept them from spending much quality time with their wives; however both remained passionately in love.

Eventually both men were accosted by the temptations of life that many men face. Jack thought that there was nothing wrong with admiring God's beautiful creations embodied in the opposite sex. Jim veered away from such temptations, for he felt that even looking would bring hurt to his wife.

One day, Jack was alone with a cute young woman who obviously had her eye on him. He thought of his beloved wife, alone at home, preparing supper for the two of them, but he quickly set this thought aside. How would she ever find out if he had a little "affair" with this young woman? And even if she did, he was sure that her enormous love for him would make it possible for her to forgive him. He still loved her passionately, but men are men, and who in their right mind could refuse such an offer?

Jack did what seemed inevitable, and this little affair blossomed far beyond what he had expected. His thoughts started to be consumed with this new passion and he had a hard time concentrating at work and at home.

Jim was also attracted to the beauty of a new employee, but he quickly dismissed the temptation. He feared that any lusty thoughts would eventually break the tender relationship he had with his wife. He could never imagine living without her. How could he even imagine hurting her in any way? He made sure to never be alone with that new employee and whenever tempted, he quickly forced his attention on the hurt it would cause his wife. His love for his wife came first, above anything else in the world. He'd rather quit his job than hurt his spouse.

Just like any sin, Jack's affair was eventually made public, and to his horror, his beloved wife filed for divorce. He was devastated. He tried to make amends, but she stood firm. Jack's life seemed to have come to a bitter end.

What a contrast between these two men. Jack's love for his wife could not keep him from flirting with disaster. However Jim's love and his desire to not hurt his wife kept him in line.

God's Word often compares our relationship with God to married life: "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 NIV)

Just like Jack, our love for God may not be enough to prevent us from falling into habitual sin. How often believers flirt with sin, believing their love for the One who died for them would prevent them from actually falling into such traps. Besides, if they did get caught up in the traps of sin, Jesus' grace was abundant enough to come to their rescue and to forgive them, wasn't it? So they eventually fall into sin and live lives trapped up in their addictions (sin is addictive!)

When tempted, I try to immediately paint an image in my mind of Jesus suffering on the cross for me. His unbelievable love and confidence in me and my desire to not hurt Him or be separated from Him motivates me to stay on the right path. Solely by relying on God can I can withstand temptation. As today’s verse says…

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

And so can you. Make it your goal today to not put yourself into circumstances that will cause you to fall.

Dear Lord, thank You for being there for us. Help us turn to You when faced with a temptation so that we with You may be able to stand against it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

On Your Hands and Knees.

Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A man was telling his friend that he and his wife had had a serious argument the night before.

"But it ended," he said, "when she came crawling to me on her hands and knees."

"What did she say?" Asked the friend.

The husband replied, "She said, 'Come out from under that bed, you coward!' "

We husbands like the idea of our wives coming to us on their hands and knees. We are quick to memorize Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord."

And the New Testament does teach the headship of the husband. But it is not a leadership patterned after Genghis Khan (though you might think so to hear some men talk). Rather, it is a leadership patterned after Jesus Christ, and it seems to me he spent some time on his hands and knees (John 13).

In fact, the verse prior to the one quoted above gives an important principle to us all -- the principle of mutual submission: "....submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21).

Husbands I encourage you to spend some time on your hands and knees today (in humble service). Strangely enough, you may find that people look up to you as a result!

Dear Lord, help us be the husbands You have planned for each of us. Help us love our wife in a way that they will look to us for leadership. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.