MARRIAGE AND SINGLENESS
In the last two weeks, I have had the privilege of attending two weddings. Now I’m not the kind of guy that cries very easily, but there is something about weddings that just gets me all sappy. Though I don’t cry a river, I do get somewhat teary eyed, because I am just so overwhelmed with joy. Anyway, these two weddings were very different. One of the weddings was to two non-believers, and the second was to two amazing Christian examples: Mike and Lauren Griffith. More than the weddings themselves, I became so extremely grateful for the joy and peace that is found in Christ alone as I saw the extreme differences of these two occasions. I became aware of how blessed I am to go to a church that holds to the Word of God with such boldness, and a church that recognizes that marriage is gift from God to glorify God.
Mike and Lauren’s Wedding
1. The Word of God was the Authority on marriage
2. Christ was the center of the relationship
3. There was a recognition that Joy and Happiness comes only through a relationship with God
4. This was their first marriage and their dating relationship was an act of worship.
5. Many of their friends were believers and held them to a standard of holiness
Non-Christian Wedding
1. No scripture was even mentioned
2. “Happiness” was the center of the relationship
3. There was a recognition that happiness comes from each other and the relationship
4. This was the their third marriage
5. Many of the people present were good friends that cared for their happiness
These are only a few of the differences between the weddings, but I am now convinced that I when I get married, I want it to glorify God as did Mike and Lauren’s wedding.
In the mean time however, I thank the Lord so much for the current (but not permanent!!) gift of singleness. This semester has been one of extreme joy and passion for the Lord, as I have been using much of my time in “undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
The passage below shows the purpose of singleness, and I pray that God would truly allow me be extremely purposeful through my singleness.
I Corinthians 7: 32-35
“32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
I am so thankful for where God has me in life right now, and I was just telling someone the other day that these days right now are the best days of my life. Sure, I’ll be saying that until I die, but I really think that we should be content wherever God has us in life. However, I even say these things right now, as a reminder to myself, since I am so prone to take up the “I’ll be happy when" syndrome. Personally, I think sometimes that I’ll be happy when I get married, I get the perfect job, I buy my first house, I have my first kiss, I graduate this May from ASU, and the list goes on and on. However, I know that I will never be content unless I am content in God alone. That is why I strive in this season of my life to be so exuberantly excited and passionate for where God has me; I desire that I would truly be concerned about the things of the Lord, pleasing Him, and securing undistracted devotion to Him.
As I wait upon God’s timing for that special someone, I was just reminded by a great friend and fellow Training Center student that God provides all that we need. As a married guy, Danny Carrizosa wanted to remind me that though marriage is great, singleness is a gift. Danny emailed me an excerpt from Elisabeth Elliot that is very worth while for any single guy or girl to read.
Excerpts from Elisabeth Elliot...
Straight for the Goal - pg. 48
==============================
"Jim had gained for himself this reputation because of his determination to eliminate the nonessentials from his schedule. Dating he regarded as one thing he might well do without. Furthermore, during those early months of his junior year God had spoken to him through the word of Matthew 19:12, "There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this let him receive it." No ascetic, Jim enjoyed to the full all that he believed God had given him to enjoy, but he felt it wisest to exclude from the sphere of activity anything which had the power to distract him from the pursuit of the Will. The precepts of 1 Corinthians 7 were inescapable to him, and it was not without reason that the Trainer of Souls set these lessons before him at this particular time. Whether God were actually giving him what he called the 'gift of single life' (an expression that Jim took from 1 Corinthians 7:7): 'each has his own special gift from God' - he did not yet know; neither did he try to rationalize himself out of that possibility. He believed Christ to be utterly sufficient for the entire fulfillment for the personality, and was ready to trust Him literally for this. In studying the separation of the Levites in Deuteronomy 9 and 10, and of their having 'no inheritance,' he wrote, 'Lord, if Thou wilt but allow me to take this set-apart place, by Thy grace, I shall covet no inheritance. NOTHING BUT CHRIST.'
Straight for the Goal - pg. 50
==============================
When, months later, he told me that his interest in me had begun before Christmas vacation, I was surprised. I learned that his personal feelings had been held in check by a principle of which he once wrote to his parents: 'No one warns young people to follow Adam's example. He waited till God saw his need. Then God made Adam sleep, prepared for his mate, and brought her to him. We need more of this 'being asleep' in the will of God. Then we can receive what He brings us in His own time, if at all. Instead we are set as bloodhounds after a partner, considering everyone we see until our minds are so concerned with the sex problem that we can talk of nothing else when bull-session time comes around. It is true that a fellow cannot ignore women - but he can think of them as he ought - as sisters, not as sparring partners!'
Mike and Lauren’s Wedding
1. The Word of God was the Authority on marriage
2. Christ was the center of the relationship
3. There was a recognition that Joy and Happiness comes only through a relationship with God
4. This was their first marriage and their dating relationship was an act of worship.
5. Many of their friends were believers and held them to a standard of holiness
Non-Christian Wedding
1. No scripture was even mentioned
2. “Happiness” was the center of the relationship
3. There was a recognition that happiness comes from each other and the relationship
4. This was the their third marriage
5. Many of the people present were good friends that cared for their happiness
These are only a few of the differences between the weddings, but I am now convinced that I when I get married, I want it to glorify God as did Mike and Lauren’s wedding.
In the mean time however, I thank the Lord so much for the current (but not permanent!!) gift of singleness. This semester has been one of extreme joy and passion for the Lord, as I have been using much of my time in “undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
The passage below shows the purpose of singleness, and I pray that God would truly allow me be extremely purposeful through my singleness.
I Corinthians 7: 32-35
“32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
I am so thankful for where God has me in life right now, and I was just telling someone the other day that these days right now are the best days of my life. Sure, I’ll be saying that until I die, but I really think that we should be content wherever God has us in life. However, I even say these things right now, as a reminder to myself, since I am so prone to take up the “I’ll be happy when" syndrome. Personally, I think sometimes that I’ll be happy when I get married, I get the perfect job, I buy my first house, I have my first kiss, I graduate this May from ASU, and the list goes on and on. However, I know that I will never be content unless I am content in God alone. That is why I strive in this season of my life to be so exuberantly excited and passionate for where God has me; I desire that I would truly be concerned about the things of the Lord, pleasing Him, and securing undistracted devotion to Him.
As I wait upon God’s timing for that special someone, I was just reminded by a great friend and fellow Training Center student that God provides all that we need. As a married guy, Danny Carrizosa wanted to remind me that though marriage is great, singleness is a gift. Danny emailed me an excerpt from Elisabeth Elliot that is very worth while for any single guy or girl to read.
Excerpts from Elisabeth Elliot...
Straight for the Goal - pg. 48
==============================
"Jim had gained for himself this reputation because of his determination to eliminate the nonessentials from his schedule. Dating he regarded as one thing he might well do without. Furthermore, during those early months of his junior year God had spoken to him through the word of Matthew 19:12, "There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this let him receive it." No ascetic, Jim enjoyed to the full all that he believed God had given him to enjoy, but he felt it wisest to exclude from the sphere of activity anything which had the power to distract him from the pursuit of the Will. The precepts of 1 Corinthians 7 were inescapable to him, and it was not without reason that the Trainer of Souls set these lessons before him at this particular time. Whether God were actually giving him what he called the 'gift of single life' (an expression that Jim took from 1 Corinthians 7:7): 'each has his own special gift from God' - he did not yet know; neither did he try to rationalize himself out of that possibility. He believed Christ to be utterly sufficient for the entire fulfillment for the personality, and was ready to trust Him literally for this. In studying the separation of the Levites in Deuteronomy 9 and 10, and of their having 'no inheritance,' he wrote, 'Lord, if Thou wilt but allow me to take this set-apart place, by Thy grace, I shall covet no inheritance. NOTHING BUT CHRIST.'
Straight for the Goal - pg. 50
==============================
When, months later, he told me that his interest in me had begun before Christmas vacation, I was surprised. I learned that his personal feelings had been held in check by a principle of which he once wrote to his parents: 'No one warns young people to follow Adam's example. He waited till God saw his need. Then God made Adam sleep, prepared for his mate, and brought her to him. We need more of this 'being asleep' in the will of God. Then we can receive what He brings us in His own time, if at all. Instead we are set as bloodhounds after a partner, considering everyone we see until our minds are so concerned with the sex problem that we can talk of nothing else when bull-session time comes around. It is true that a fellow cannot ignore women - but he can think of them as he ought - as sisters, not as sparring partners!'
posted by Brent Klontz at 5:58 PM
1 Comments:
Thanks for sharing that Brent. Isn't it amazing when Christians are united in marriage? The last wedding I attended was done at our church by our pastor - I have never seen a wedding so devoted to reminding us that the couple being united as one flesh is compared in Scripture to how Christ relates to His church.
Also, I totally totally totally relate to your thoughts about contentment. We will never be content while we wait for the future. We are content because we love God's decree for our lives at any given moment.
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