Finding “A Good Thing”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesWhen folks ask me how long my wife and I have been married (32 years and counting), the pronouncement is frequently met with the sort of goggle-eyed astonishment once reserved for the laser show at the planetarium, or the bearded lady at the circus. Often the look is accompanied by a question — whether spoken or unspoken:
“How in the world have you lived with the same person for that length of time?”
We could say the secret of our success is the utter synchronicity of our union — two minds thinking alike — two hearts beating as one — all of those normal pithy responses. Or we could say we’ve never exchanged a cross word or weathered any storm-filled days. We could say those things — but they wouldn’t be true. No relationship involving fallible human beings can ever be perfect, and our marriage is no exception. Having said that, we can point to a few contributing factors that have helped us in getting to our almost 33rd anniversary:
1) “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15) — A determination my wife and I made at the beginning of our marriage, was our unswerving commitment and service to God. There have been directions we haven’t gone and roads we haven’t taken because to do so would have impeded our Christian walk. This has been especially true in terms of the career paths we’ve followed. Neither of us has ever taken a job that would separate us from God’s work or from one another. Those choices have surely cost us money over the years, but they’ve never cost us anything that’s really important — being faithful to the Lord (Matthew 6:33).
2) “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 – NKJV) — Any two people living in close quarters will have differences. The trick is not allowing those differences to act as a wedge. My wife has tolerated my eccentricities and weaknesses with uncommon grace. She rarely goads me about those frustrating quirks of my personality — and they are numerous. Neither of us broods long over slights — We work at forgiving and forgetting. (Ephesians 4:26; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).
3) “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22) — The relationship with my wife has been (and continues to be) a blessing — not a handicap. I appreciate how much better my life has been with her than it could ever have been without her, and I often times let her know that sharing my life with her has been “a good thing.”
4) “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19) — Our marriage has survived challenges that might have divided other couples simply because of our commitment to one another and our faith in God’s unchanging promises (Hebrews 6:13-20). Whatever we face in light of illness or reversal of fortune, we know our Lord will never let us be opposed by an obstacle His grace won’t enable us to surmount together (2 Corinthians 12:9).
5) “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:9) — I’m indeed thankful to God daily for the loving wife He’s given me. I pray that I bring her as much joy as she has brought to me throughout our married life. Praise God for Him finding that “good thing” in my life — a loving, caring, and honorable wife.
Dear reader, it is my prayer that God will help you in finding that “good thing” as well and experience the same “joy” that I have experienced.
Related Articles:
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- How To Love Our Wives In A More “Princely Way”
- Problems In Marriage
- Resolving Problems In Human Relationships
- True Marriage Demands A Marriage Covenant
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