Word@Work Eph70 - Ephesians 5:31-33
Published: Mon, 01/12/09
Word@Work from BeaconLight
THE COMMITMENT TO COMMITTMENT
Ephesians 5:31-33 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (NIV)
Marriage without leaving home always invites problems. Sometimes it cannot be helped (finance and housing needs may give no other option) but the new marriage should not be controlled by parents (although failure to honour them is a step of independence too far). Becoming a Christian is a bit like getting married. The old lifestyle which has been covertly controlled by the world, flesh and Devil, is incompatible with the new lifestyle, in which Jesus has the right to command. He expects to be the central point of reference for everything; and that means we have to accept the radical changes that are necessary - if our lives are to be led by Him.
The integrity of a Christian marriage is always strengthened as husband and wife invest in each other. Without mutual love and respect, holy matrimony can become an unholy mess. Husbands who do not decide to love, and wives who do not choose to respect their husbands, are on a slippery slope. The same is true between Christ and His bride, the church. His commitment to us is constant and undiluted: it is our commitment to Him that may be in question. If we are more committed to other 'gods' or 'lords' than to Jesus, our Christian faith will become detached from its mooring in God's Word and shipwreck is inevitable, given time.
Likewise in marriage. The incursion of third parties or the obsession with other priorities (even our work) at the expense of our wedding vows, will spell disaster if left unchecked. So your workplace and leisure time may say more about your Christian faith than you realise. The way in which you allow them, or your colleagues, to set a framework for your marriage, may also describe how you let the worldly patterns, which you should have left behind, dictate how you relate with the Lord. It is worth conducting a serious review of both parts of Paul's argument in these verses. How committed are you to developing your marriage with integrity; and how committed are you to your relationship with Jesus? And how does the time in work or leisure encourage or distract you in both commitments?
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank You for this reminder of the need to be as committed to my relationship with Jesus, as to my marriage. I need Your help in both arenas, and I pray that my time at work or in leisure will strengthen both and not weaken either. For Your Name's sake. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and Spanish
Marriage without leaving home always invites problems. Sometimes it cannot be helped (finance and housing needs may give no other option) but the new marriage should not be controlled by parents (although failure to honour them is a step of independence too far). Becoming a Christian is a bit like getting married. The old lifestyle which has been covertly controlled by the world, flesh and Devil, is incompatible with the new lifestyle, in which Jesus has the right to command. He expects to be the central point of reference for everything; and that means we have to accept the radical changes that are necessary - if our lives are to be led by Him.
The integrity of a Christian marriage is always strengthened as husband and wife invest in each other. Without mutual love and respect, holy matrimony can become an unholy mess. Husbands who do not decide to love, and wives who do not choose to respect their husbands, are on a slippery slope. The same is true between Christ and His bride, the church. His commitment to us is constant and undiluted: it is our commitment to Him that may be in question. If we are more committed to other 'gods' or 'lords' than to Jesus, our Christian faith will become detached from its mooring in God's Word and shipwreck is inevitable, given time.
Likewise in marriage. The incursion of third parties or the obsession with other priorities (even our work) at the expense of our wedding vows, will spell disaster if left unchecked. So your workplace and leisure time may say more about your Christian faith than you realise. The way in which you allow them, or your colleagues, to set a framework for your marriage, may also describe how you let the worldly patterns, which you should have left behind, dictate how you relate with the Lord. It is worth conducting a serious review of both parts of Paul's argument in these verses. How committed are you to developing your marriage with integrity; and how committed are you to your relationship with Jesus? And how does the time in work or leisure encourage or distract you in both commitments?
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank You for this reminder of the need to be as committed to my relationship with Jesus, as to my marriage. I need Your help in both arenas, and I pray that my time at work or in leisure will strengthen both and not weaken either. For Your Name's sake. Amen.
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