LEARNING DAILY

 

Genesis 2:24, Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

 

That is exactly what happened fifty-four (54) years ago on June 2. Charlotte and I were married when we were very young. It did not take us very long to understand being married was not playing house; if our marriage was to be successful, it was going to take work and a commitment by both of us. To answer your question, we have had difficulties over the years – until Jesus entered our lives. That was important. Together we have walked with Him for almost 44 years. We have still had disagreements; we have just walked through them differently.

 

Friends and other people hear how long we have been married and often respond that this just does not happen anymore. We went through some difficult times. For whatever reasons we never chose to go our separate ways. There is no doubt in my mind that God had His purposes for our lives – together – and would not let us separate. That approach is too common today as partners walk away from each other for too many stupid (yes, I used the “S” word) reasons. We have simply chosen to honor the commitment we made to each other, before God, family, and friends: “Let no one separate what God has joined together” (Matthew 19:6).

 

Let me go further and say commitment is not just an issue for marriage. It seems to be a forgotten issue for every aspect of life. It is easy to quit a team for example. I was so proud of my grandson for completing his first year of college football. He did not like playing college level football; but he finished the season. To me that was an important lesson for him and all who knew him to understand the importance of honoring a commitment he had made to his coaches and to his teammates.

 

Think of how easily people go from one thing to another. Charlotte and I have found that commitment usually requires some sort of sacrifice. It may have taken me longer to learn this, but I finally got it. Let me say that understanding what commitment is must be at the heart of every marriage. When we promised “for better or worse”, I doubt either of us knew the “better” often came after the “worse”. There are so many memories that we have been able to enjoy together that we would not have had without the commitment.

 

In Romans 5:8, we can see Christ’s commitment to us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That was an all-in commitment by Jesus Christ; He gave His life that you and I would be able to enter into eternal life in His kingdom. So, what is the expected commitment we make to Him. Read Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” Everything we do should be to please Him, to give Him honor and glory. The question becomes then if we are willing to do that at the cost of everything else in our lives. Being committed to Him means He is our guide and our moral compass and we become His servant.