OutdatedShembull

Day Seven

Happily Ever After

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:11; John 16:33; 1 Corinthians 7:28 

“Happily ever after.” I think that is what we are all seeking, not only in love but also in life. And we are told over and over, from our earliest childhood, that living “happily ever after” begins with marriage. 

But real marriage starts right where the fairy tale leaves off. I am not saying that marriage is a bad thing. But even the best of marriages has troubles. God’s Word guarantees it. 1 Corinthians 7:28 says that “those who marry will face many troubles in this life.” In fact, the person who wrote that verse—the apostle Paul, who was a bachelor himself—was trying to convince the Corinthians not to get married for that very reason.

Paul’s not saying single life is carefree either. It is just that everyone has troubles in life, and in marriage, you share the troubles of two people. Life’s goal is not to avoid troubles but to glorify God in the way we handle them (1 Corinthians 10:31). 

But in much the same way a married person commits to sacrificially serving their spouse no matter what they may do (or fail to do) in return, God sticks with us despite our troubles and mistakes. 

A perfect, holy God can’t just ignore our sin. Sin requires payment; something must be done to atone for wrongdoing. Since we couldn’t make up for it and earn his good graces in our own lives, God used his life. He sent his Son, Jesus, to suffer the punishment for our sins on the cross. We could never earn such a sacrifice; he offered it lovingly as a free gift. And if you accept that gift—if you admit you have sinned and need God’s forgiveness—you can live forever together with him. 

That’s why heaven is described as a wedding feast, and the church is known as the bride of Christ. So you can live happily ever after. And you don’t have to get married on this earth to do it. Marriage is an important thing in this life, but it is far from being the ultimate thing. Make sure you know the One you’ll be “married” to forever. 

How have you believed the myth that marriage is the only way to live “happily ever after”? How would seeking God’s ultimate purpose for your life change your thoughts and actions about dating?