“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, to present her to himself as a radiant church …”
Lord Jesus, From middle-school infatuation to first “real” love, through break-ups, restarts, walking down the aisle, then walking to the graveside—our stories are marked by the wonders, pain, risks, and beauty of love. But all loves whisper, hint, and point to a greater love—the greatest love.
No human relationship, great romance, torrid love affair, or healthy marriage —can fill the place in our hearts reserved for you, Jesus. You are the ultimate Spouse—the one we always craved, whether we know it or not. Every human marriage is temporary; only our marriage to you is forever. In fact, as believers, we are already more married to you, Jesus, than we will ever be married to a human spouse. May this sink in, humble us, and gladden us, Lord.
This is precisely why we should take our marriages so seriously—for our marriage story is to be lived as a part of the greatest Marriage Story of all—the Gospel. The Gospel is to shape, fuel, and narrate our marriage more than any other story, narrative, or agenda. And there are so many counter-narratives vying for the right to define our marriages—most of them centering on personal happiness, not your glory.
As spouses who belong to you, Jesus, we are to help prepare one another for eternity—to live with a view to the day when one of us will present the other to you, Lord Jesus, through the portal of death. And though we won’t be married to each other in eternity, we will know and love our spouse better in heaven than we could have ever loved them in this world. Hallelujah, what a paradox, mystery, and gift. Oh Jesus, we praise, bless, and adore you. So Very Amen.