FAITH GENERATION
Christ glorified, the believer edified...
Committed Love
Far from the sensual, selfish and frivolous portrayal of love we see in our culture by the media, true love is purposeful . At its root is an enduring commitment which manifests in fruits of joy, peace, long-suffering, respect and understanding. Marital love is no different, it actually embodies all these qualities and is rooted in the glorious description given on love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love goes beyond mere feelings or emotions, marital love is a commitment; a decision to lay down ones life for the other in that joyful union.
This committed love finds its joy in serving the other and seeks to be a blessing everyday to the other. Let this be the definition of your love for your spouse. Let your heart be focused on how God can use you daily to be a blessing to your spouse. Worldly love is focused on "what can I get from him or her", however godly marital love is focused on "what can I give to him or her". This is an important key to experiencing joy in your marital life. It does not consider other options when faced with adverse situations and tough times, rather it seeks to fight through it all because it deems the union worth it. Godly marital love is focused on Christ, it does all things for the other partner as unto Christ the Lord. As a believer, allow the Word of God to nurture this love in your heart for your spouse and be intentional and purposeful in your demonstration of your love towards your spouse.
Sacred union
Marriage is a sacred union sanctioned by God between a man and a woman. It is His idea and not mans. It is His institution designed to be a reflection of the union of His Son, Christ Jesus (the bridegroom) and His church (the bride). Just as we have become one with Christ in Spirit and have become part of His body even so when a man and a woman are joined in holy matrimony they become one.
The intense love that Christ has for His body, His bride by which He gave His life for it, nourishes and cares for it diligently is the same love husbands are enjoined in the scriptures to emulate. The submission of the church to Christ, her bridegroom as Lord is what wives are enjoined in scripture to emulate. Society tries to tell us otherwise and wants to make us believe it is bondage. However the truth is in Christ, marriage is a blessed bondage, a place of liberty where the love of God is developed in our lives and get an experiential glimpse into the blessed union of the Lord and His church. This is why the enemy attacks marriages relentlessly and is doing everything to undermine and redefine what it is.
As a christian therefore you must be determined to let your marriage bring honor to God by building it on the solid rock of Gods Word and on prayer. Let Christ take center stage in your marriage, let His Word influence your marital life and you will undoubtedly experience a blissful marriage.
Godly seed
The task of raising the next generation is a sacred responsibility and glorious privilege. As believing parents, children are a godly seed appointed unto us by God, who we must cherish, love and nurture in the fear of the Lord. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6. We are enjoined by Gods Word to;
1. Train up our children. The nurturing of our children is a training, a prayerful leading, teaching and instruction in
2. The Way they should go. What way is this? Remember what Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life..." John 14:6. The way Children ought to go is Christ therefore we are expected by God to lead them to, teach and instruct them in Christ. That is to love Christ and walk pleasingly in Him. There is no better foundation to give children than a godly foundation in the Word of God.
Remember if we fail at this the world will teach them and raise them and you can be sure it will teach them not the truth who is Christ but the way of this world which leads to death and destruction. This sacred responsibility is an expectation from God our Father. Do not let mainstream media show you how to raise your children, do no leave this all too important responsibility to their school teachers. As a parent it is your responsibility and you must joyfully embrace it.
Restored Hope
Are you at the point of giving up on your marriage? Do you feel you are hurt beyond forgiveness? Beloved, there is hope in our Lord, through whose wisdom and power, healing and hope is possible. Marital issues can be very hard to deal with and endure. It takes only Gods grace for us to go through such moments of pain and hurt, however through the power of God broken pieces can be put back together again. Joy can be restored again. It may take time but once both spouses are committed to the healing process all things are possible.
The process of healing and restoration begins with identifying what exactly is the strain on your union that is tearing you both apart and its root cause. After identifying such, it is important to commit the issue at hand to the Lord in prayer. It can be difficult when one party wants to hold the marriage together but the other is disinterested. However you must keep in mind that you have no power to change anyone including your spouse. Only through the work of the HolySpirit on the heart of your spouse can bring a real and lasting change in their life.
Speaking to your pastor or an elderly person whom you both have respect for is also beneficial and they could walk you through your moments and times of pain and hurt. Through it all remember, God is the only one that can mend and heal a broken heart and life. God can shine a new light of hope into the darkness of your situation.
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