Have you ever viewed your marriage as a “work of art” — one that reflects the heart of Christ? I know that for many years Steve and I sure didn’t! We just went about living out our married lives in the ways of “the good, the bad, and the ugly” and didn’t really think about what it might look like to others. That is, until one day, a young man came up and handed us a note in church and then walked away. Curious, we were surprised to read that he and his wife had been watching us from a distance. No, they weren’t stalkers… just casual observers.
He revealed to us that he and his wife didn’t have good role models, showing them how to treat each other in marriage. And then one day they noticed us, and how Steve and I interacted with each other. They liked what they saw and kept watching (we didn’t have the slightest idea this was happening). He told us that just from observing us (and being in a marriage class we eventually taught), they learned a lot and wanted us to know that we had blessed their lives.
After reading this, we cringed to think what they might have observed (after-all, we sure aren’t perfect), but somehow God painted a good picture because he wrote that he and his wife both said they “wanted a marriage just like ours.”
That letter, and similar comments we’ve received through the years, has made us aware that people notice more than we realize they do. How we conduct ourselves day in and day out is a picture we’re helping (or hindering) God paint in their minds as to what a Christian marriage looks like. Marriage is apparently designed to reflect the love of Christ to a world that needs to see this picture so they’ll reach out for more of what God has for them as a married couple. If we allow our lives to become non-reflective of the love of God, we’re missing the main point of why God designed marriage in the first place. It’s not about what we can get out of marriage, but what can GOD use within our lives to draw others to Himself.
It would be good to ask yourself: are others drawn to God as they observe how you interact with your spouse? Do they see Christ reflected in your words and actions? If not, today is a good day to start that journey back to line your heart and actions up with God’s. Our lives are a continual work in progress, that calls us to press on to “take hold” of all that Christ has for us (see Philippians 3:12-16). You may not be perfect, just as we aren’t, but together we can press on.
We came across an article in the November/December 2002 issue of Moody Monthly Magazine (which is no longer being published) which may help you to grab onto this concept further. Within this article, Elizabeth Cody Newenhuyse wrote the following: [Read more →]
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