It was designed for companionship. There might be times we are unhappy with our marriage or our spouse. Just because something is used for our perfection does not mean it is why God created it! You can pray all you want in an unhappy marriage; but prayer will be blocked solid if you’re in an unholy marriage. Because the Holy Spirit is in you while you are one with your spouse, your choice to align yourself with God will change your marriage, regardless of your spouse’s attitude. For example, guys sometimes think they have a "right" to their own space or their own time (like a night out with the guys), but I (Paul) realized that the perceived "rights" I had were really selfish aspects of my character that God wanted to change through our marriage. Mrs. K J Bell. Make no mistake, we were (and still are) head over heels for one another, but neither of us needed marriage to make us happy because we were already happy in our singleness. When we climbed mountains, he didn't need to go to the top—he was content with going halfway. Thanks for sharing these words. Then again, being single isn’t for everyone either. ( Log Out /  :0( What a difference it would have made in their communication if one simply smiled and said hello. This is a wonderful post. We report on news and give our opinion on topics such as church, family, sexuality, discipleship, pop culture, and more! The Catholic church believes marriage is a sacrament because the relationship between husband and wife represents the union of Christ to his bride, believers. He created marriage to be a picture of Him. The Christian walk is not about our happiness. Where Have All the Gray-Haired Ladies Gone. His thesis goes like this: “Marriage is not primarily about your happiness. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2017. After all, if the purpose of marriage is holiness, these annoying situations provide us with ample opportunity to practice Christlikeness as we […]. Read more articles that highlight writing by Christian women at ChristianityToday.com/Women. Before I move on to the next stage of my transformation journey, I’d like to share more of what I have learned about living marriage God’s way. When we took the same course in graduate school, he was content with an A- (or even a B+!) We are not to skip the first element. Prior to this role, he served in leadership for Every Man's Battle for 13 years. Temperance. Thomas Aquinas describes it as "the most excellent of virtues … the habit of charity extends not only to the love of God, but also to the love of our neighbor." Dr. Williams told me one of my friend’s daughters had just married a young man from Dallas. It wasn't until the 12th century that the troubadours (a group of traveling poets) introduced the concept of courtly love as we know it today. Sign Up For Our Newsletter This companionship has an aspect of happiness designed into it, but it is the classical definition of happiness (in this case a prospering in one’s relationships) and not the modern version of feeling good about oneself or one’s circumstances in life – marital or otherwise. Conversely, when I seek to harm my husband, that harm is inflicted upon me. A few weeks ago a friend from India, Dr. Theodore Williams of Indian Evangelical Mission, spoke at Community Bible Chapel. Often translated "wisdom," the word prudence comes from the word providence, which means "to see ahead." I have also learned that God meant it when he said that a married couple is “one flesh.” When I am unconditionally loving to my husband, that love empowers me! Even satan is a theologian (a faulty and wrong theologian). She went on to brave 16 hours of labor to bring our daughter into the world. It is just a childish dream and nothing else. Linda: A good marriage is one of the life-factors most strongly associated and consistently associated with happiness. I rewatched Fireproof yesterday, and in the first half of movie, I saw so clearly how both characters were contributing to their marital problems. I've always had a knack for saying exactly what I think at the very moment I think it—regardless of the impact it has on the hearer. It’s written by a guy named Gary Thomas. We understood—even then—that our marriage was ultimately more about our moral development than personal satisfaction and contentment. When you apply this statement to a married couple, things take a new light. Neither of us "needed" to get married. I (Halee) have never been good at moderation; I always seem to operate in extremes, whether in work or play. 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