Emptied: Living a Poured-Out Marriageনমুনা

I could say so much about my marriage.

I could say Wynter and I were a team. We were a work-in-progress, but every day we awoke committed to doing better than the day before. Our goals were aligned, and when misalignment arose, we worked together to get back to the game plan. We weren’t keeping score, but we knew the enemy was on the losing side. We were for each other and conflict brought us closer.

I could say we were best friends. It wasn’t always true.

We spent the first five years coming to terms with the baggage we brought into marriage. The sins. The habits. The differences and the things we needed to lay down to put the other first. We spent the next five years beginning to empty ourselves of those things to make room for what God wanted to do in and through us. We spent our final five years building a friendship deeper than attraction or anything that initially brought us together.

But what summarizes our 15 years has less to do with us and more to do with God. Simply put…

The Kingdom is better because we were together.

The Bible has a lot to say about the Kingdom. If you summarized the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, the overarching theme would be the Kingdom of God—God’s rule being worked out in history.

God’s plan for your marriage is bigger than you. It’s bigger than your spouse. It’s bigger than your friendship and it’s bigger than your family.

Your marriage is about the Kingdom.

You’ve probably prayed Matthew 6:10 more times than you can remember. If not, you probably know these words:

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

It’s more than a nice saying. It’s a reminder that our lives are about God’s Kingdom. That all we do, we are to do with a greater story in mind.

Wynter and I had an advantage—an understanding that we were supposed to be a team. That in this life there is real opposition and our unity makes the difference in our ability to intentionally advance God’s Kingdom and story.

When we began to think more about ourselves and what we wanted, it was the knowledge of a bigger story and a higher calling that put us back on track.

May today you see the bigger story at hand. May you see the higher calling that God has in mind for your marriage.

And may the Kingdom be better because you and your spouse are together.

Lord, it’s so easy to get focused on the here and now. I so quickly get wrapped up in the small details and disagreements. Please help me to see that You are writing a story grander than I could ever imagine and help me to make the decisions now that advance Your kingdom in my marriage and family.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

LIVING POURED-OUT TODAY

• Are you and your spouse operating as a team? Why or why not?
• Start a dialogue with your spouse about what each of you can do to show the other that you are on the same team.
• Identify one thing you can do this week to start building a better friendship with your spouse. Does your spouse need encouragement? Do they need affirmation? Open up about a tough situation you are facing. Seek their advice about a relationship or work problem.