As the world continues to slide into chaos, I pick up my Bible and open back to Matthew.

Forgiveness, and now divorce. Couldn’t Matthew record some easier teachings of Jesus about now?

But I guess I know. It’s actually really clear. Jesus spent His very short time on earth telling us the truth because we need to hear it. All of it.

There is no peace apart from following the instruction of the Lord. And anytime we try to go our own way, instead of following Him, we heap buckets of misery on our heads. Misery that affects individuals, families, and nations.

And God’s instruction about divorce is one more area where we can hurt ourselves and our families for generations if we disobey.

God is very clear in Matthew 19, “that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever married her who is divorced, commits adultery.” (Matt 19:8).

God says, “He hates divorce.” (Mal 2:16) and I don’t have to tell you why. Most don’t have to look too far to see the impact of broken homes. We have seen and felt its affects.

So, it’s important to be so very diligent to protect our marriages. The enemy certainly has a target on our backs because strong Christian families are a threat to our enemy.

When it comes to marriage, as I’ve written before, there absolutely will be the days your eyes meet and your heart flutters. The days you melt into his arms and your heart swells with emotion.

There will be those mountain-top, romantic moments with your spouse.

But there will be the other days. The days you feel disconnected and unappreciated. There will be moments where you grasp, but cannot “feel”, what perhaps just the day before felt so good.

In those moments, when you’ve been hurt, when you are tempted to look at others and believe they’ve all got it better than you…when you want to run…it is then that your promise to God about your marriage most certainly matters.

In the hardest moments, those who love Jesus more than they love their spouses, resolve to not abandon their marriages just because things get hard.

I’m not talking about abuse. I’m not talking about submission to sinful things.

But things get hard in every marriage.
EVEN the very best of marriages.

The enemy will lie to you and tell you the grass is greener somewhere else and that you got a raw deal.

Be assured, there will be days when your spouse looks anything but lovely to you (and, sister, you to him).

But as you remember your promise to God, as you hold on in the hard days, God will bring more good days.

But what do you do before the good days and the happy feelings return?

You remember the promise you made to God and you actively, graciously show love to your spouse. You may not feel it but show it anyways, over and over, and regardless of their immediate response.

And you pray and you do what God has called you to do.

And when you do, when you follow God in the yucky marriage days, supernatural things can happen.

God works things together for good.

He heals. He restores. He even brings back those tingly, romantic feelings.

Know this – strength and joy in your marriage, just like your strength and joy for all of life, will come as you seek to follow God regardless of circumstances and temporary emotions.

And SINGLE FRIENDS…this is exactly why a person who loves God more than they love you is exactly THE kind of person to marry!

That’s us below. Let me tell you, we’ve had our hard times, but it’s getting sweeter every year!

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