Series: Hope for Families in Hectic Times
Sermon: Can Love Really Last Forever?
Someone once said, "Falling in love requires a pulse... staying in love requires a plan." With more than 50 percent of all marriages ending in divorce, it is clear that "falling in love" is not enough to keep two people together forever. Do you have a plan to make sure your marriage ends up in the "right" 50 percent?
Below are 3 key principles for a long, healthy, God-honoring marriage. In which of these areas are you currently doing well? Which do you and your spouse need to work on?
1. Honor
Phil. 2:3 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather, in humility, value others above yourself.
Eph. 5:21 – Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.- Husbands, live and make decisions as though your wife is more important than you.
- Wives, live and make decisions as though your husband is more important than you.
- When a husband and wife live with this kind of mutual submission and mutual honor, they are well on their way to answering the question, "Can love really last forever?"
2. Agreement
Persistent disagreements will eventually erode a marriage and cause a husband and wife to become distant and bitter. Matt. 19:4-6 tells us that a husband and wife are no longer two separate individuals, but one. When a couple learns to live "in agreement" with each other, they will quickly discover the beautiful oneness that God designed for marriage.- In what area(s) are you and your spouse currently experiencing oneness and agreement? Take some time to give thanks for this.
- Are there some things you both constantly disagree on? What steps can you take this week to find common ground and begin moving towards oneness and agreement?
- When working towards agreement, be sure to remember point #1 above... valuing your spouse above yourself.
3. Forgiveness
Children are so quick to forgive and forget, but as we grow older, we learn to hold grudges. Many couples dig in their heels and refuse to be the first to forgive, even if it destroys their marriage. Refusing to forgive someone enslaves you, not the other person. Forgiving them actually sets you free!- Privately make a list of things you have not forgiven your spouse for. Get alone with God and go through each item, forgiving him/her for each specific offense.
- 1 Cor. 13:5 says, "Love keeps no record of wrongs." Commit to going to bed each night with no unforgiveness in your heart towards anyone.
- If you struggle to forgive, remember how much Christ has forgiven you. Col. 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
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