Make It Last Forever
Luke 16:18
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
In the past five weeks, I’ve written about some of the common factors within our society that lead couples to seek marital dissolution, “a.k.a.” divorce. While writing about these factors, I’ve noticed a common denominator amongst the list that is the ultimate influence on the decision to end a marriage, “lack.” In the first article of this series, “Sacred Vows”, the article discussed divorce, but it focused on lack of commitment being a reason that some seek divorce. In “To Trust or Not to Trust”, obviously, lack of trust was the focus here, and with “Open Lines of Communication”, lack of communication was the basis of the article. I also wrote an article titled “Other People’s Property”, where lack of faithfulness within the marriage was the focus; and finally, last week I wrote “No Romance without Finance”, which dealt with a lack of money. Now, as you can see the “lack” of something exists within these common reasons.
To lack, means “to be without”, or “not have”. If you lack any of these within your marriage (commitment, trust, communication, faithfulness, or money), then it’s easy to understand why one may ponder the subject of divorce. However, I want you to consider something else. I want you to consider not making divorce an option for your marriage. Even if you’re full within your marriage at this time, and lack nothing; divorce should not be an option at any time. You see, whatever it is that your marriage may lack now, God can bless you with it in abundance. We all have situations that may arise in our relationships; but when we said our vows, we made a commitment to God and our spouse. The promise was “for better or worse”, and for a lifetime.
Luke 16:18
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Summary: Most religious leaders of Jesus’ day permitted a man to divorce his wife for nearly any reason. Jesus’ teaching about divorce went beyond Moses’ (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Stricter than any of the then-current schools of thought, Jesus’ teachings shocked his hearers (see Matthew 19:10) just as they shake today’s readers. Jesus says in no uncertain terms that marriage is a lifetime commitment. To leave your spouse for another person may be legal, but it is adultery in God’s eyes. As you think about marriage, remember that God intends it to be a permanent commitment.
Scripture quotation and summary are taken from the Life Application Study Bible (NIV).
You made a commitment to make it to the altar, so make the commitment to see your marriage through. As I’ve said before, marriage is a trinity between you, your spouse, and God. It takes all three for it to work, but it can’t and it won’t work without the Lord. Ask Him to shape your marriage for His purposes and be willing to allow Him to do so. It says in Proverbs 18:22 “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
Find the Jewel in You, See the Gem in Him!
Treazure
