So this marriage thing? Not a piece of cake.
Learning how to live together, share our finances, and spend all of our time together has had its ups and downs. We have shared many moments of fun and laughter, and we have certainly had our share of disagreements over these past couple months. I suppose that when you spend twenty three plus years living for yourself, it is not the easiest transition in the world to begin putting another person first.
There is a book called Sacred Marriage that poses the question: "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?"
In marriage we are harshly confronted with the reality of our own sinfulness. Our tendency to look out only for our own needs is met with the call to love, honor, and cherish our spouse. And I know that for me, that really brings all of my junk to the surface. Marriage has revealed to me how selfish, stubborn, and immature I can really be.
I believe fully that God designed marriage to be a reflection of His love. The commitment, the faithfulness, the laying down of your self for another person - all a beautiful picture of God's love for us. And we are purified to become more like Him when we allow marriage to change us and grow us, when we kick our selfish tendencies to the curb and remember our commitment to love our spouses more than we love ourselves.
Can I just confess how hard that is for me sometimes? I love being right (even when I'm wrong). I love doing my own thing and having my own stuff. I love being in control. But now that I'm married... do I love these things more than I love my husband?
Marriage makes us better. The benefits far outweigh the sacrifice. We are made stronger, as a team and as individuals. As the years go by, the good times and the bad will bring us closer together, and as we seek God in our marriage, we will be closer to Him as well.
