Hebrews 11:6(ESV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Many of God’s children have centered their prayers for this year around the blessing of a Godly spouse. Some are very focused on this aspect of life because they’ve been lonely longer than they’d like. Most of us desire to be blessed with long-life, prosperity, good health, and a loving and Godly spouse to share all this with. God created us with these desires. He is the One who said in Genesis 2:18(NLT), “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” He created unity in Christ, and His plan is that we all have it in life, and therefore certainly have it in marriage. The satisfaction of these desires will make us feel good, and this ‘feeling good’ doesn’t come from romance; it comes from loving others through Jesus Christ. We must have this straight in our hearts and minds before we meet our future spouses.
Through the record in Genesis that tells us about God blessing Adam with Eve, we can understand that companionship is given by God as the basis for relationship. It is two walking together in agreement. Human beings didn’t come up with companionship, so to try and take it out of the realm in which God intended it would be a mistake. Things will fall apart, and we can see this happening in the world in real time. God is the One who created companionship, and He is the One who holds relationships together. He does this when a couple understands that Christ is the glue, and that they must never take their focus off him and his example.
What other righteous reason could there be to desire companionship than to satisfy God’s requirements for its purpose? We know that companionship is not a toy. It’s not a means to placate selfish desires, and it’s not a means of simply satisfying one’s need for physical intimacy. Marriage is the greatest ministry a man or woman could ever hope to have. If we don’t personally desire or possess the level of commitment that this ministry requires, we must seek God for clarity and instruction. Not only should we be envisioning the many ways we’re going to serve our spouses through our companionship, but we should be seeking God continually to wear the commitment, discipline, patience, compassion, love and endurance like a second skin. Now is the time to practice and pattern that Christ-like behavior by doing it in our everyday lives.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. He looks at our hearts to see if our desire for marriage is greater than our desire to please Him. James 2:26 tells us that faith without good deeds is dead. So, if pleasing God is our greatest priority in life, He is going to be looking at the good deeds and actions we take to back our faith in Him. Our actions tell Him, the heavens, and everything beneath them, how serious we take our walk in Christ and how prepared we are for the ministry of marriage.
In 1Samuel 15:22(NLT), God told His people through His prophet, Samuel, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice.” If we’re omitting obedience in our lives, we’re going to miss the blessings that God has in store, because God honors our obedience with rewards. In other words, He has woven His rewards within Christ, and Christ is in us. So, when we live like Christ, we live in God’s rewards.
Modeling Christ-like behavior is not an option for the ministry that God has placed in our hands. God wants a happy marriage for you more than you want it for yourself. He makes it clear that obeying His Word and following the example of Christ is number one for Him, therefore, it must be number one for us. God’s Word, the example of Christ, and the indwelling Holy Spirit were given to us by Heavenly Father to prepare us for life on earth and eternity. He shows us that spiritual preparation is necessary for a fulfilling and meaningful life. It is necessary to our own efforts to be obedient to Him, and it is required to be the kind of wife He has commanded us to be. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“A Model of Christ-like Behavior”, written by Kim Times, edited by Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!