Seth was a young man
with wavy hair and shiny jeans who waited on us as we selected an anniversary
gift for each other at the furniture liquidation sale this week.
“How many years have
you been married?” he asked.My wife replied immediately, “40 wonderful years.”
I hoped she wasn’t
exaggerating.
“That’s amazing,”
said Seth. “I’m not sure that happens any more. What’s your secret?”
My wife responded
without pause, “Love each other more than yourself and keep the Lord in the
center.”
In church today I heard an older man with many more years of
marriage than I respond to the same question, “What’s your secret in such a
long and happy marriage?” He responded, “Whenever she gets mad, I keep my mouth
shut.”
I think my wife’s response adds substantially to his formula.“Love each other more than yourself and keep the Lord in the center.”
I thank God for my wonderful wife every day and realize how fantastic our life together has been.
“Love each other more than yourself and keep the Lord in the center.”
That’s basically what Paul is saying in Ephesians when he says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
It’s clear from this passage that Paul meant this to go both ways.
How many times has my wife given up her choices in life in
order to make my dreams come true? Each time she has, God has blessed our
marriage. The same goes when I have made similar choices to make her life
better.
The greatest blessing from such a marriage of mutual self-denial
has been the continued blossoming of our love for each other, year after year.
I did not learn this from American self-fulfillment culture;
I learned this from Paul and I learned it from my parents and I am praying that
my kids will learn it from us.
“Love each other more than yourself and keep the Lord in the
center.”
Well said, Becky.
Dear God,
Thank you for my years
of marriage. Let me love more and give up more so that we both may be more in
love and you may be more glorified.
Amen
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