The truth about marriage (1)
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jn 8:32 NLT The idea of “the perfect marriage” misleads and disillusions us, preparing us to walk away when fantasy clashes with reality. And it always does! Only when you accept the truth about frail, faltering, frustrating people—and you yourself are one—can you find lasting happiness in marriage. So for the next few days let’s look at some of the most common misconceptions about marriage. The love bug: We think if we’re in the right place, at the right time, with the right person, love will “bite” us and we’ll embark on a lifetime of bliss. The trouble is, when we are worn out from taking care of kids, jobs, and mortgages, the love bug flies off. In the daily grind of dishes, diapers, and drudgery, something has to give. So romance vacates center stage and reality takes over. And because we confuse romance with true love, we mistakenly think love has moved out and we need to follow it. The truth is, love doesn’t die because romance bows to reality. If two people who fall in love are willing to stand together in love through the challenges of life, romance can blossom again stronger and more resilient than ever. Romance may bring us together, but unselfish love keeps us together. The Bible says: “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have…Isn’t always ‘me first,’ doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others…always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end” (1Co 13:4-7 TM).
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