Genesis 2:18-25
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Ephesians 5:22-23(NKJV)
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church ……
A bucket of hot buttered popcorn and a soda is all that is needed to fully enjoy a great “Romantic Movie Experience”. Good clean romantic movies which now have become known mostly as “Chic Flicks” can be captivating to most of us.
A really great one, ends with the guy proposing to the woman of his dreams. She eagerly accepts his proposal, which confirms their mutual love for one another and a beautiful wedding follows as a special treat to those of us in the audience. This of course finishes the movie off in grand style. The final words we see on the movie screen are;” and they lived happily ever after”. It warms our hearts to see a couple that is genuinely in love even if it’s only in the movies, and why is that? I think there are at least three answers to this question.
First of all, I think most people equate being in love with being happy.
Secondly I think most women especially, enjoy the fantasy of fairytale endings, (sort of Cinderella like). Let’s face it, most people have unrealistic expectations and are not fully aware of what is really required to create, grow and sustain a healthy and successful marriage. In other words, most movies miss the steps in between “I do”, and “they lived happily ever after”.
Thirdly, I think that every human on the planet whether desiring or not desiring to be married, desires to love and to be loved. Although there are thousands of couples who are very much in love and extremely happy, the reality is, there are thousands of others who struggle to find joy and happiness in their marriages. Although a couple may be very much in love there will just be times when marriage is harder than other times.
Today’s lesson will address facing and responding to the difficulties in our marriage. From the time most women are little girls they find themselves dreaming of and planning a beautiful wedding. It is exciting to dream of that special day when your Prince Charming will stand at the end of the Church isle eagerly awaiting to whisk you away in a white stretch limousine and save you from all of the dangers and cares that life may hold.
I am here to tell you, that beautiful dresses, pretty flowers and a large diamond ring and a white limousine does not a marriage make. Although these things are beautiful and fun if the budget allows, none of these things are the determining factor for a lifetime of happiness shared with one another.
When the months of planning this much anticipated event of a lifetime are over and your beautiful wedding gown is now hanging in your closet as a keepsake, the wedding guest have returned home and the gifts are put away, the real work begins. You see this is where the, for better or worse, the for richer or poorer, the in sickness and in health, the forsaking all others, and being faithful until death do you part begins. The
Cinderella fairytale is over and now real life starts its journey. Are you prepared? No matter how much you love one another, no matter how blissful the honeymoon, at some point your love will be tried and tested because that’s just life.
My question for you today is, will your love stand the test of time? In part 2 of this lesson I have listed eight nuggets to help you get your Marriage back on track when things get difficult. I hope they are helpful to you.
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