Modern Christian marriages are highlighted by vows to stick with each other "for better or for worse," yet It seems that more and more these words have become no more than just words. However, God isn't the type to just stand by and watch and has given us Christ's love and power to live out strong marriages.
What makes a marriage strong? Is it the preparation that couples make before marriage, the attitude that they hold towards each other or the things they do? As important as all of these things are, we shouldn't think of them as causes of good marriages but merely signs of them.
To build a marriage on the foundation of good works really is building on shifty and faulty foundation. Having been married for just three years, I don't think I can even count the number of times that I have failed to do good works towards my wife, and yet still our marriage grows stronger and stronger.
I like what Habakkuk 2:3 says about righteous living, "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
As far-fetched as it sounds, this verse can actually be applied to marriages. When God calls us to live by faith, He calls us to live by faith in every area including our marriages. As believers, I don't think there's any better way to live except by faith.
The same holds true for our marriages. Do you want to live out a marriage where you and your spouse can live for each other "for better or for worse?" God calls us to live life by faith in our marriage. What does a faith-filled marriage look like?
It's not much about the volume or intensity of faith really, but about who the object of our faith is. Many married couples today put their faith in each other, in their bank accounts or in their values, and that's good! I'm not saying that we should stop putting our faith in each other or in sound financial principles, but the question we must ask ourselves is do we trust that God is in control of our marriages?
What many couples today (me being one of them before) fail to realise is that as much as we value our marriages, God values them even more. That's why Jesus asks in Matthew 19:6, "...What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." Jesus is the author and perfecter of our marriages just as He is the author and perfecter of our faith. Do you trust God enough to take care of your marriage?
We can get through trials on our own no doubt. Many couples do. But God can get us through them way better than we can ever do on our own. Psalm 46:1 reminds us, "God is our refuge and strength, very present help in trouble." This can very well be true for every marriage today if only we put our faith and hope in Christ to uphold our marriages.
