Risky Business

In our day, Marriage is a risky choice- a courageously brave and difficult choice!

We live in a culture of short term commitments:
• Throwaway relationships and Disposable Marriages
• Employment that ends when the benefits don’t suit someone
• Face book Friends we never see Face to Face

We can live our lives with the attitude of “What’s in it for me?” We can desire to live our lives without making promises, even those we have chosen to join in commitment. It's a real option for too many people carrying deep wounds from the past.

The problem is- if we all think this way, no one makes promises to us!All of which makes marriage the biggest gamble we take!

In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells us husbands should love their wives as Jesus loved the church. But what exactly does that mean?
It means marriage is a choice of dying to our own preferences for the sake of our mate- doing this on a daily basis and holding to the promises we make on our wedding day.

When Jesus, by choice, chose to die on the cross to pay for the sins of Man, he was taking a huge risk. He knew some would not accept His Love and His Sacrifice. And the Enemy was against Him. But the pending reward of eternity with those who believed outweighed the risk. So, Jesus gave up his life because He loved His Father and he loved the people He created.

There will be times when keeping the promises will be impossible. The pain will be so deep, when the anger and fear seems impossible to bridge, when you totally forget why you even chose to marry and may regret your choice. Your friends and family may even encourage you to opt out of your promises. But this is when Love can win.

As you persevere in marriage and do so with a heart to sacrifice, your rewards will be great. God will use you to heal and bless each other- and to be a witness of His Love to a world that is dying. As you persevere, you will be transformed into the image of Christ- and you will bless your Heavenly Father by choosing obedience and sacrifice versus self indulgence!