CHAPTER TWO: Finding God in Marriage - Marital Analogies teach us Truths about God
"How do you view God -- as master, or as husband?" Do I see God as the bridegroom that is repeatedly referenced in the Bible or just a supreme being who manipulates how the world should be? Is my relationship with Him as close if not closer than the marriage I have with my husband? As I was rereading through this chapter, I thought about when I first became a Christian. I was united with God in a way that is very similar to being united as one with my husband. Marriage isn't about a spouse taking God's place though. Instead, it's like a 3-way marriage. Each third is equally important for the success of the marriage.
"..God did not create marriage just to give us a pleasant means of repopulating the world and providing a steady societal institution for the benefit of humanity. He planted marriage among humans as yet another signpost pointing to his own eternal spiritual existence." Of course I realized that marriage is not just about procreation, but I never really thought about marriage as a way to show me who God is. Sometimes my relationship with God is stagnant and I find it hard to find time to spend time with Him. What I'm learning is how I can use my marriage as a way to understand how to have a relationship with God and vice versa. It's amazing how many similarities there are. "As long as a couple is married, they continue to display -- however imperfectly -- the ongoing commitment between Christ and the church." What a beautiful image!!
So what exactly is the purpose of marriage? Ultimately, it is an instrument used to please God. Shouldn't we be living for Him in all that we do anyway? So why not in marriage too? Love and forgiveness are two main ideas that are continually expressed during any friendship or relationship with someone. I think in some ways, they can also be the most difficult to carry out at times.
"Strong Christian marriages will still be struck by lightning -- sexual temptation, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations -- but if the marriages are heavily watered with an unwavering commitment to please God above everything else, the conditions won't be ripe for a devastating fire to follow the lightning strike."
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