more than friends
A couple of years ago I wrote about how my husband and I met. Today, we celebrate nine years of marriage. I find myself reflecting on what makes a marriage strong enough to stand the test of time?
The top of my list would be to abandon the notion that you're married to your best friend. Christian marriage has no room for that. "Marriage is a picture of Christ's love for His bride, the Church" (LSB). Jesus is not our friend. He is our Lord, our protector, his love so sincere that he sacrificed himself for us and died a horrible brutal death so that our sins would be forgiven and that we might live. That is why the vows we say are different from the vows our husbands say. A man does not promise to be our best buddy and faithfully sit beside us to watch Downton Abbey each week (Kudos if he does). Instead, our husbands vow to nourish and cherish us as Christ loved the church. To give himself up for us and to never forsake us for as long we live. With these precious words spoken there should be no hesitation for the bride to then profess that she will submit to her husband. Because the line after that is very important, "Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ?" (LSB). This submission is not about being told what to do and being micromanaged for the rest of your life. It is about knowing that the decisions a Christian husband makes for his family come from his desire to fulfill his promises to nourish and cherish us. For our part, it then becomes important that we support, care for, and encourage our husbands so that they can better care for us. We need only read through the Rite of Holy Matrimony in our hymnals to be reminded.
So you see? Husbands are so much more than best friends.
The top of my list would be to abandon the notion that you're married to your best friend. Christian marriage has no room for that. "Marriage is a picture of Christ's love for His bride, the Church" (LSB). Jesus is not our friend. He is our Lord, our protector, his love so sincere that he sacrificed himself for us and died a horrible brutal death so that our sins would be forgiven and that we might live. That is why the vows we say are different from the vows our husbands say. A man does not promise to be our best buddy and faithfully sit beside us to watch Downton Abbey each week (Kudos if he does). Instead, our husbands vow to nourish and cherish us as Christ loved the church. To give himself up for us and to never forsake us for as long we live. With these precious words spoken there should be no hesitation for the bride to then profess that she will submit to her husband. Because the line after that is very important, "Will you submit to him as the Church submits to Christ?" (LSB). This submission is not about being told what to do and being micromanaged for the rest of your life. It is about knowing that the decisions a Christian husband makes for his family come from his desire to fulfill his promises to nourish and cherish us. For our part, it then becomes important that we support, care for, and encourage our husbands so that they can better care for us. We need only read through the Rite of Holy Matrimony in our hymnals to be reminded.
So you see? Husbands are so much more than best friends.
Amen and Amen!
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