Husband and Wife, Love God, Then Love Each Other

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:3

The downpour is letting up as I sit observing the display. Lightning and thunder still let their presence be known in the distance. Street lights is the only illumination I can see from my front porch. Rivers of last remaining rain flow from the top of my house. I enjoy the cool of the night. I struggle everyday to find this peaceful feeling that I now feel after the rain in her arms.
In the worry and fast pace of the days, we as a couple don't even seem to find the time to enjoy the quiet moments. Life's demands seem to eat away at our time.Constraints leads to stress. Stress leads to anger. Anger leads to hateful and hurtful words. When we get in such a rush and don't pray these feelings boil over burning everything it touches.

C.S. Lewis talks, in his book The Four Loves, about couples forgetting God in those moments and what it lead to. He referred to the couple's Love without God turning into something that is like,"mecilessly chaining together two mutual tormentors, each raw all over with the poison of hate-in-love, each ravenous to receive and implacably refusing to give, jealous, suspicious, resentful' struggling for the upper hand, determined to be free and allow no freedom, living on in "scenes." The lovers old hyperbole of "eating" each other can come horribly near to the truth."

This paints a vivid picture of the death throws of a marriage when we take our eyes off God as the center of it. When we take our eyes away from Him, the true source of love, we can't love ourselves or others. Self loathing ensues, manifesting itself by finding fault with all around around us, while pining away about our own. Spouses argue with each other over the situation, instead of looking at the one your going through it with; I mean truly looking at it with God's eyes of love.

They say that we all have a soul mate, and that the eyes are the windows to the soul. I say God matches us up pretty good with our mate, if we seek Him first. And to truly look into her eyes through His love brings me peace. So I guess those sayings are true. God's interpertion of love is different than mine and yours. I have slowly come to a realization of that fact.

C.S. Lewis talks of many kinds of loves in his book. But all these loves only come true and are of pure nature, when they are built upon the love God gives. This is the love upon which all others rest. When God is at the center of your marriage, nothing on Earth can break those bonds sworn before Him.

When the years have ravaged you and your spouse,then one day you look at each other, and if your eyes are open, you may come to a realization. His book puts it in these simple terms,"suppose you are fortunate enough to have "fallen in love with" and married your best Friend.

I like that thought.

I like it alot.
by
Lance Gargus