Proverbs 5:15-23
Stop for a moment, and think of the most wonderful and wished for gift that you ever received as a child, the gift that you waited and waited and begged and begged for. Remember that gift that you persistently petitioned your parents for, on top of writing a letter or two to Santa Claus. Maybe you even prayed for it! Now, remember the excitement that you felt when you finally received the gift, the thrill of unwrapping the red and green wrapping paper on a crisp Christmas morning, or the joy of tearing into the gift at a birthday celebration. Everything that you had been hoping for was finally in your hands, all was right in the world. You treasured this gift with all your heart, until… Weeks turn into months, and months to years; the gift became a little bit less thrilling, and seemingly less important. Eventually, this once so precious present that you so longed for ended up under the bed, cast to the side, just like all of the other toys, and you went on to wishing for the next thing.
All too often, this is how people of this day in age behave toward their spouse after a few months or years of marriage. We wait our entire lives to find “the one,” and when we finally find that “one” we are overjoyed – everything is perfect! Completely enthralled, completely in love, the newlyweds enjoy each moment they have with each other in complete adoration. A few months pass, then a few years, and the newness begins to wear off. Things aren’t as bright and shiny as they were in the beginning; the couple feel less satisfied. That “gift” that they prayed for tirelessly feels a little bit less special. It’s just so routine.
But hear me clearly:
Your spouse is NOT a TOY. You can’t just cast him or her aside when things aren’t as perfect as they once seemed. Your spouse is a human being who was chosen by the God of the universe. Our world today has fallen far too deeply into the trench of casting the gift of marriage aside when things get hard.
What a horrible way to treat a gift given by the God who created you.
In light of comparing the great gift of marriage to material gifts; a spouse should be treated more like a classic, vintage, extremely valuable automobile. Perhaps that auto has been passed down from generation to generation in your family, making it even more valuable. You spend hours and hours gently and carefully tending to this car; polishing, washing, cleaning, restoring, fueling, etc. Now, I am not a car expert, but I do know that a car that is neglected and left out through different seasons of weather and storms without being driven or cared for will eventually rust and stop running. I can safely assume that no one who is passionate about a treasured family entity would leave it untouched and uncared for because it is entirely irreplaceable.
In the same way that one would tirelessly slave to repair or maintain a classic car, a spouse should strive to maintain the marriage relationship. So we must tirelessly strive to care for our marriage and spouse, because marriage is a special gift from God – not a toy. Enjoy that one that the Lord has chosen specifically for you. Don’t even think about finding satisfaction in anyone or anywhere else.
And if the Lord has not blessed you with this beautiful gift quite yet…
keep on waiting…