It was about five weeks before my wedding day, and I was on cloud 9. A dear friend invited me out for a pre-wedding lunch. I arrived with an empty stomach and a full heart to celebrate. Except, her mood was not as festive as I’d been expecting. I could tell that she’d come to talk about something far more serious that flowers and bridesmaid dresses.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“Huh?” I was startled.
She knew my future husband well. They were great friends and she thought he’d be a wonderful husband for me. To top it off, she was convinced that Jerry and I genuinely loved each other. So, it wasn’t that she didn’t like him.
It’s just that she…was married.
Not miserably so. Just realistically so. She was no longer blinded by butterflies and wistful illusion of romantic splendor.
She wanted me to hear the truth. The success of this new partnership was going to require a firm resolution. I couldn’t go into marriage thinking only about how much he was going to do for me. I also needed to think about how I would serve him, esteem him, build him up, and honor him. Was I ready to give the time and energy, the emotional effort and attention that would be required to keep myself contented and my husband satisfied even when I didn’t feel like it?
Even when I thought that he didn’t deserve it?
I’ve been married for nearly 15 years now so, I am well aware of how daunting a challenge it might be for you to take me up on this resolution regarding marriage. No way am I pretending this is a piece of wedding cake (pun intended :). But the fact remains, fulfilling your spouse is an admirable, biblical aspiration worth striving to achieve no matter what state you may find yourself and your marriage in today.
I, like you, am on a journey – still learning and growing as I experience daily life with my own husband. And yet observation and personal testimony are teaching me that this resolution will often result in good things for your relationship.
Here’s our resolution:
I will be faithful to my husband and honor him in my conduct and conversation in order to bring glory to the name of the Lord. I will aspire to be a suitable partner for him to help him reach his God-given potential.
Listen to today’s podcast and ponder these questions:
Would you say you have accepted the responsibilities marriage has required, or resisted them?
List some of your husband’s characteristics that you wish would change but likely will not. Now write down the way YOU can change to adapt to your husband’s characteristics if these attributes are never altered.
“A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands” (Proverbs 14:1). What are some practical ways you can begin to “build your house”?
If your friends were to describe your husband, based solely on your comments and conversations about him, what would their depiction be?
Thanks for making resolutions with me.
Such an honor to do life with you.
Priscilla
Enjoy the podcast below. You can also listen to previous podcasts here.
