Loving your spouse with all your heart is a wonderful thing. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25), while wives on the other hand are told to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ (Eph. 5:24). But more than loving our spouses, loving God and getting to know Christ should be our top priority, higher than our marriages.
Christ should be the ultimate pursuit of our lives, more than we pursue our spouses, ambitions and dreams. If Christ is the one that we pursue, we will have all the best that we could ever dream of.
Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came so that we could have life, and have it abundantly. An abundant life doesn't necessarily mean having a big house, cars, a booming business and beautiful kids on top of having an awesome spouse. Instead, it simply means that we will be able to live the way God wants us to live. In other words, abundance can be an inner experience much more than an external experience in our lives. And the only way to do that is to pursue Christ and let His lordship be supreme in our lives.
Excited to know Jesus more? Here are some benefits that you get when you choose to pursue Christ more than you pursue your spouse.
1) God will show His love to your children
"I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:5-6)
When your marriage becomes a competition for God's rule over your life, God doesn't like it. At times, we don't realize that we already treat people like an idol, and the same goes for your spouse. Check yourself. When you realize that you're giving more to your spouse than to God, stop it. You'll see the difference in your marriage and in your family.
2) You get to focus on what matters more
Sure, loving your spouse is great, but when you're focused on your spouse and your spouse alone, you don't get to give your full attention to other things that matter too, like your relationship with God, and your service to God and others.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:33-34 that "a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided." This doesn't mean that married people should desire separating from their spouse because God doesn't want, but that they must prioritize God even more than their marriage.
3) You'll be a more stable partner
When you are founded on the solid rock that is Christ, you will be the most stable person that your spouse can ever depend on. Matthew 7:24-27 tells us that those who build themselves on a sure foundation will be able to stand through the strongest storms that my come. And for us, that foundation is none other than Jesus Christ.
