Lighting the Way

“Sexuality is not your soul, and marriage isn’t heaven…”-Jacki Hill Perry.
Jackie Hill Perry is absolutely right, but nor is marriage an end in itself.
It is not thinking too much of marriage that is the problem, it is thinking too little. Even when we idolize it as Jacki implies we often minimize its purpose. We can tend to think marriage is only about us, our needs, our conflict, our communication, our expectations (for one another). Marriage is about so much more.
When asked by religious leaders about marriage in heaven, Jesus answered, “There is no marriage, or giving of marriage (getting married) in heaven.” Marriage isn’t eternal, and was never intended to be, but it is a mistake to think that marriage does not serve an eternal purpose, a heavenly one.
The Bible teaches marriage is meant to tell the story of God’s sacrificial love for his bridethe church and demonstrate the joy to be had between God and his people. Much like a movie trailer, marriage ought to be a preview of the eternal joy to come.
That kind of purposeful marriage consists of movements of forgiveness and grace, sacrifice and service, and joy and desire. Each movement is like a solar powered light brightening a garden path. As the sun powers each light, so God’s grace must sustain each movement in marriage. Forgiveness can’t happen without God’s grace, nor sacrificial service, or even joy and delight; it is by God and for God marriage points to heaven.
Marriage isn’t heaven, but there ought to be enough glimpses of it in marriage to light the way.
-Danny
If you need resources to help you make some next steps please send an email to marriagestrong@fbcsa.org.

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