How the Resurrection Power We Celebrate at Easter Impacts Our Marriage

Our conversion changes everything in our lives! The Holy Spirit changes our values, purpose, and motivations, influencing our actions, choices, and ultimately our relationships. Our faith pervades every aspect of our lives. And one area where we’re seeing visible change is in the way we see and interact with our spouses.

Soulmate

I was on a plane and sat next to a man in his mid-50s. we started talking. He told me he was divorced and was on his way to see his girlfriend. Although they lived in separate cities, they met regularly at romantic destinations on the weekends. asked him if he planned to marry her. “Probably not, because it crushes what we have.” Then he asked if I was married. I honestly didn’t know what to say after his talk!But I briefly talked about my relationship with her husband, our devotion to Christ, and each other.

He kept quiet and then said. “You are lucky. You have found your soulmate.”

I kindly stated that I do not believe in soul mates. Based on Plato symposiumthe myth says, “According to Greek mythology, man was originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. I ordered you to spend your whole life looking for your other half.” 1 So somewhere there is that person, your other half, and if you find them, you can have an effortless and fulfilling relationship. . Mine was tough. If I had met my soulmate, my life would have been different.

So I mustered up the courage to gently explain the foundations of the biblical worldview of marriage. My husband and I weren’t naturally compatible, floating souls, but now that we have found each other, we are happily experiencing transcendental love and romance! and make a great effort to love one another as Christ loved us in the first place.

He, like many people, believes in this erroneous idea that marriage should be easy and exciting, or that he married the wrong person.

we all marry the wrong person

If our goal is to marry someone who will make our lives easier and meet all our needs, we will all marry the wrong person. can’t do it for Many people who are caught up in our culture’s unrealistic romantic promises are deeply disappointed in the limitations of their spouses. That’s when you make your spouse the source of what only God can give.

In his excellent book What Marriage Means: Face the Complications of Commitment with God’s WisdomTimothy Keller explains the claims of writer Ernest Becker.

“We used to expect marriage and family to provide love, support and security. We looked to God and the afterlife, but today, culture has taught us to believe that no one can be sure even if they exist Therefore, Becker argued, something had to fill the gap, and it was often romantic love… giving us what we were getting from our faith in God.” 2

Romance has a place, but if that is the focus, our marriage will fall short of what God intended.Only God can meet our needs, because only God is perfect. . When our lives are properly arranged as God directs, we find hope and meaning in our relationship with God. And from that place we receive from God, we are empowered to love and serve each other in marriage.

How does God give us strength?

He gives up the Spirit so that we can live the way the Bible says. And the life of Jesus is our example.

Lessons from Easter

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choose to serve

Luke 22:27 “Which is greater, the one who sits at the table or the one who waits? Isn’t it the one who sits at the table? But as one who serves, I am among you.”

During the Last Supper, the disciples debate who is most important. It’s so easy to read about them and shake our heads at their self-centeredness. But don’t we also do this in our marriages? Don’t we compare our responsibilities and contributions to those of our spouses? Why should we be honored and served? “I’m the one who makes the most money.” “I took this job so you can advance your career.” I do all the work.”

Jesus contrasts how the world uses positions of power and authority at the expense of others and how we use them in the Kingdom of God. In the example of Jesus, he is leaning over the table, so he is better. However, he chose the position of a servant. he lays down his life. He takes the form of a servant rather than relying on his divinity and equanimity with God. (Phil.2:1-8)

Like Christ, we must choose to serve rather than be preoccupied with our selfishness or our own importance.

persevere in a marriage

Luke 22: 42,”[Jesus] “Father, if you please, remove this cup from me. But not my will, but yours will be done.”

Jesus knows what death on the cross costs him. He asks God if there is another way. Haven’t we all felt it? In any trial or struggle, do you pray that God will miraculously remove the situation and solve the problem painlessly?

When faced with difficulties, we must first run to God. We too can ask God to intervene. Note, however, that Jesus aligns himself with God’s will and walks through trials when circumstances do not change according to his prayers.

This is an intense situation where Jesus is asking God to remove the cup. He is sweating blood what God’s will means to him. I am in no way saying to stay in an abusive, unsafe relationship, or one that has a pattern of sexual immorality, drug addiction, and so on. In such cases, ask for help. Instead, I do the hard work of surrendering to God during trials, surrendering our selfishness, and surrendering to the Holy Spirit to grow where we can transform ourselves and our circumstances. is pointed out.

In a 2002 marriage study of 10,000 couples, marital well-being was assessed twice at five-year intervals. The results showed that her two-thirds of the unhappy couples living together were happy five years after her. of, Does Divorce Make People Happier? Survey Findings on Unhappy Marriagessociologist Linda Waite studied what turned these unhappy marriages into happier marriages.

“For the most part, we just kept putting one foot in front of the other and things started to get better.”

“Mellowed out…I adjusted more than he changed.”

Some couples report getting input and advice from friends, family members, or counselors. Others said the situation that had made them unhappy had been resolved.

Focusing on one or two issues can sometimes blind you from the big picture and the many other good things that are happening. This study is a reminder that through patience, God can use trials to soften us (James 1:2-4) and make a good one. (Romans 8:28)

vision of your marriage

Hebrews 12:2 “We turned to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and endured the cross for the joy that was set before him…”

Divine Perspective expands into Eternal Focus. Jesus knew ahead. He knew that his suffering, death, and resurrection were for purposes far beyond temporary pain and loss. He knew that everything he experienced would help drive God’s final plan forward and would have a profound effect on mankind.

Likewise, our marriage benefits society. Why Marriage Matters, 2nd Edition: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences, marriage profoundly impacts children by reducing their social risks, in that they are three times less likely to drop out of school and 12 times less likely to be incarcerated, and to move them out of living in poverty. It says to protect children. Single parents with children had a poverty rate of 36.5% at the time of the study, while married parents with children had a poverty rate of 6.4% for her, regardless of race or ethnic background. Marriage is associated with better physical and mental health for men, women and children. Many other studies also show the tremendous value of the broader culture that strong marriages and families bring.

We need the Lord’s help every day to see our lives, including our marriages, from His eternal perspective.

blood of jesus

Romans 4:7 “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and their sins are covered.”

1 Peter 4:8 For love covers many sins.

The blood of Jesus covers us. It cleanses us from sin. (1 John 1:7) it justifies the believer (Romans 5:8) and reconcile us with God. (Colossians 1:20)

I think if you are married you have had to forgive your spouse 70 x 7 and be forgiven multiple times! (Matthew 18:22) God’s resurrection power at work in us gives us the power to do so. It allows us to be patient, kind, non-rude, non-selfish, and leave no record of our mistakes. (1 Corinthians 13) “Covering sin with love does not mean that we ignore our feelings or ignore our personal boundaries. You cannot “cover up” sin by doing. 3

As we celebrate Easter this year, we thank God for the incredible gift of salvation. Seek the hope of the resurrection to fill your heart and commit to extending its grace into your marriage and beyond. The power of the resurrection released the Holy Spirit so that we could live as we were created.

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quoted works

• Keller, Timothy, Kathy Keller. What Marriage Means: Face the Complications of Commitment with God’s WisdomPenguin Books, 2016.
• GotQuestions.org. “Home.” GotQuestions.org24 February 2016, https://www.gotquestions.org/love-covers-multititude-sins.html.
• Exarchopoulos, Socrates. “Greek myth of soulmates when humans become humans” GHDMoreGHD, 23 November 2020, https://www.greecehighdefinition.com/blog/the-greek-myth-of-soulmates.