“A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.”—Ruth Bell Graham
Marriage is huge. I don’t think there is any way to understand how huge it is until you are in it. Good and bad, it spills over into all other aspects of life. It’s no wonder, then, that couples always ask, “What’s the key to a great marriage? What’s the secret; just the one secret, the one key to a great marriage… What is it?” I always give the same answer, given to me by my close friends:
“A great marriage comes from two people walking in the Spirit, loving one another.” The couples almost always respond something along these lines, “Yea, yea, I know that, but tell me something really practical that will really make a difference.”
And I always answer,
“Oh, now I get your question. Okay then, a great marriage comes from two people walking in the Spirit, loving one another.’”
What’s the bottom line?
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other—Galatians 5:13-15.
In the pursuit of true love, we can function in the Holy Spirit, or we can function in the flesh. As married couples, if we function in the flesh, this is called “war.” If we function in the Spirit, this is called “love.” Pretty simple and intensely practical—and it’s not just the key for a great marriage, it works for any relationship, and not really just for relationships, it’s the key to a great life.
True contentment and life is found in Christ and the abundant life is lived as we live in the Spirit instead of in the flesh. Period.
God, I believe in the truth of Your Word… in principle. Now, make it practical. I ask that in the days ahead You will open up Your Word, and that You will open up my mind to understand and to be willing to walk in Your Spirit in order to love those around me with all the intensity and purity that You intended. Amen.
