You And Me Forever: Marriage In Light Of EternityShembull

"Married to Your Savior" What would you give up in order to be with Jesus? That question is a good way to gauge how much you long for Him. I’m convinced most Christians would quickly choose to stay with their families rather than going to be with Jesus. We have transformed our families into idols. Anything we are not willing to part with for God’s sake is an idol: It has replaced God in our lives. Unless our longing to be with Jesus is primary, we love Him too little. As Paul said, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Philip. 1:23). If you are hesitant to affirm that you would choose to be with Jesus immediately, it’s likely that your spouse is serving as a replacement for God in some sense. You wouldn’t want to go be with your Savior because you’re already married to your “savior.” This is common, even in Christian marriages. We look to our spouses for validation, identity, reassurance, and love. Ultimately, everything we need comes from God. He often chooses to use our spouses in meeting our needs, but if your hope or identity becomes rooted more in your spouse than in God, then you’re asking your spouse to be more than he or she could ever be, and you’re failing to see Jesus for who He is. Discuss with your spouse: Can you identify any ways in which your spouse might be functioning as a replacement for Jesus in your life?