Resist Temptation

Sarah and I have been married since June 13, 1998. At the time of this post that makes 19 years! The exclamation is for the sheer disbelief that I am old enough to be married that long and for the fact that after all that time, I know I am more in love with my wife than I ever have been. 

If there is one thing I can share after all this time, it is this: a marriage relationship will either transform you or it will end. I am so much different than that 23-year-old punk that married way out of his league 19 years ago. I have had to face my inner demons, I have had to admit fault, I have had to learn what speaks love to my wife, and I have had to submit to the transformation that happens with growing in relational intimacy with another person. Though this journey hasn’t always been easy, I sure am grateful that it isn’t over and that the transformation is continuous.

One of the biggest changes that I have noticed is my different personal desires; my marriage relationship has literally changed what I want in life. When I was a young man, most of my dreams revolved around me. The things that used to burn in my chest have passed and I simply don’t care about them anymore. 

I believe this is one of the reasons John calls the church “The Bride of Christ” in his New Testament writings. If you allow Christ to guide your marriage, you bring Him honor and glory by serving and submitting to one another in love (the operative there is “in love”); the honor and glory isn’t complete unless you have joy in that rhythm. In other words, if you are only changing your behavior and serving out of compulsion while grueling and wishing you didn’t have to change, you’re going to have a miserable marriage. 

Likewise, if you say that you are a Christian and don’t allow your relationship with Jesus to transform not just what you do, but what you want to do, you will be a miserable person. Why? Because temptation to disobey Christ, live in selfishness, and give ourselves over to sin are around every turn. Temptation is relentless and simply will never stop hounding us. Therefore, if our desires never change, eventually, we will want what is opposed to Christ and if the right opportunity arises, we will take it. 

On the other hand, the more we fall deeply and sincerely in love with Christ, the more we are changed. It won’t happen overnight or even over the course of a few weeks or years, but Christ will continually reveal to us areas that He wants to heal and make new. He shows us what’s important to Him and as we love Him more, those same things become important to us. 

This weekend, we will begin by singing How Great Thou Art to place Christ in His rightful place in our hearts, next we will sing Salvation’s Tide to focus on what’s important to Jesus, and we will end with What a Beautiful Name It Is to reflect on the beauty and power of Jesus.