In order for marriage to rise to the place which God has
ordained, we must experience a dynamic paradigm shift in how we view marriage.
Instead of approaching it as a sterile structure or an invisible institution,
we must embrace its intrinsic value as a living organism. Marriage is alive. To
recognize this is an important prerequisite because of the undeniable
implications that follow:
1) Marriage has inalienable rights- We
must search for its pulse, and witness its right to exist. Marriage was not
created by man, but established by God. Consequently, marriage cannot be
redefined. Man simply does not have the power to redefine an absolute created
by the Creator. The DNA of marriage is uniquely designed and cannot be altered.
2) Marriage is filled with the Breath of God-
God spoke marriage into existence. It does not merely consist of the breath of
man joined to the breath of woman, but it is the very breath of God that
sustains the life of a marriage. Just as a flute is nothing more than a hollow
reed without the breath of the flutist, our marriage is devoid of meaning without
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Job 33:4 says, “The Spirit of God hath made
me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Just as the flute
produces a sound as the air stream travels down the piping, the interplay of
two souls led by the Spirit will determine the unique sound your marriage makes.
Each marriage has a creative expression. Throughout the song of your marriage,
you will inevitably have major and minor keys, but when God is the
Instrumentalist, you can expect a triumphant resolution.
3) Marriage
has a voice- The degree to which our marriage is open to the will of
God determines the message conveyed to others. Isaiah 40:3 says. “The voice of
him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God.” When we submit to the divine
order of marriage and fulfill our roles as God intended, we point others to God
by representing Him in the earth.
4) Marriage requires continual nourishment
to survive- Just as our physical bodies require daily nutrients, we
must be cognizant of the areas our marriage is lacking. Leg cramps can be
brought on by potassium deficiencies. Too often, we try to treat the symptoms
of pain in our marriage without tracing back to the source. Is there pain or distance
in your marriage? What spiritual or emotional nutrients are you missing?
5)
Marriage
has eyesight
- Although each individual brings visions and
dreams into the marriage, there must be an overarching vision that includes
both. God is the one who gives visions and dreams and only He can see the whole
picture. As we press into His vision for our lives, He restores our sight so we
can have direction for the path ahead. I
have always been intrigued by the passage of Mark 8:22-25, “And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a
blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by
the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and
put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and
said, I see men as trees, walking. After that He put his hands again upon his
eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”
I was talking to my husband about this passage the other day, and he had an
interesting interpretation. Although many interpret this passage as a
progressive miracle where the blind man’s sight was partially restored with the
first act and completely restored with the second, could there be another
explanation? Adam mentioned perhaps instead of one miracle, there were two—where
Jesus first restored the man’s spiritual sight and then restored his natural
sight. Perhaps this man was seeing into the spirit realm—viewing men as God
views them, as trees of righteousness. In marriage, our spiritual vision must
first be restored. Jesus has to take us by the hand and lead us out of the town
of our small thinking. He desires to heal us both spiritually and physically. We must see ourselves as God sees us to reclaim our
identity. Once we know who we are, we will understand our purpose and our
destiny.
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