“When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition until death do them part.” G.B. Shaw
What a thrilling time We had delving into our series “Marriage Matters”. It was a joy and honour to preach through this series; firstly challenging and encouraging myself and Bridget before we could even teach and preach on this vitally important subject. You might be asking why are you making such a fuss about this subject. For me, a healthy marriage is the fibre and foundation of a healthy society.
Husband and wife or Mom and Dad do matter. Somewhere in the recesses of my memory I was taught many years ago that marriage is a 50/50 deal. It is amazing that we simply believe stuff mostly in ignorance or naiveté . I am more than ever convinced that it is definitely not 50/50, but is 100/100.
If we took a moment to consider what the former idea was, it meant that I only had to give to my other half, half of me, ie 50%. Surely you would want to give him / her 100%!
Anyway !!!!!
Delving into scripture to liberate and expand ourselves in this quest of this God-created institution, I pray we have all been challenged, encouraged, bolstered and our vistas in our marriages have been broadened to a new horizon that perhaps we have never even ventured forth into, or dared to discover.
If you only heard one or 2 parts of this series I encourage you to listen to the rest. As this will help you to achieve a full body of truth rather than misunderstanding some terms that are used. For example, I am fully aware when we read from scripture; “wives submit…..”, Oh boy no one hears the rest of the text, or when we read from scripture “ husband love your wife”, or “the head of a wife is her husband”, we tune out before we are fully tuned in, and we miss the beauty of what God ordained.
It is sad to say, that unfortunately modern day language and expressions, coupled with some who have unwittingly butchered the text to mean what they feel it should, have led this amazing institution of marriage down garden paths, where angels fear to tread, as the saying goes.
When we grasp hold of the true meanings of the intent of scripture, and the Fathers heart, these statements in their fullness, become a liberation and a joy to embrace.
When we read and understand the import of the text then we can honestly acknowledge that the intent is summed up this way, as ordained by God,
“ The woman chooses submission and the man chooses headship; anything else is an abdication of Gods Design” and when we both abdicate Gods perfect plan for marriage, we find more often than not that when we are vying for our own slice of this marriage, instead of both going for the gold ring we find, we have a poor imitation at best
A wife who attempts to control her husband and a husband who attempts to dominate his wife, are living under the curse and the fall in Genesis.
We can live in the wonderment and beauty of this God designed life together called marriage, in His abounding Grace and love.