October 21st

The Measure of Our Days

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised. Song of Solomon 8:7

A lot of people think marriage is a big mystery. Really, I have to disagree. I think it's pretty simple, and if you follow along with me today then I think you'll agree.

There are three kinds of marriages. First, I'll tell you about a rotten marriage. A rotten marriage begins when you start with someone who lives out life for all they can take for themselves. A rotten marriage gets full blown when you have a taker married to a taker, and all they do is take, take, take, take, take.

This is what I need from you. This is what I need you to do. This is a train wreck of a marriage that's got kill switch sitting all over it and ultimately finds itself in my office because all they do is selfishly take, take, and take again.

What's just about as bad is an abusive marriage. You get an abusive marriage when you have a giver married to a taker, and one gives and gives and gives until they're run over by one who does nothing but take. It's terrible. It's not what the Lord is desires for us at all.

Second, something else He doesn't want is a ho-hum marriage. This is the middle of the road marriage that's neither diving nor thriving. I'll tell you, you get this kind of marriage when you have two people who are neither givers nor takers. They just sit there lukewarm in their love.

Or, you can get a marriage like this when two givers are giving outside of their marriage before they give inside their marriage. Then, by the time they get to their marriage, they're giver's all gived out; they didn't save anything for the most important human in their life.

Rather, here's what God wants for us-and here's a great marriage-is when a giver is married to a giver, and they put each other as first priority in their giving. If you fight about anything, it's about who's going to out-give the other.

I'm doing this for you.

No, I was going to do that for you.

I'm doing this for you.

I was going to do it for you!

That ought to be your first fight, who is going to out-serve their spouse.

Marriage really can be that simple. Choose to be a giver today and watch the transforma-

tion that happens in your home.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for choosing to give me Your life before I ever gave You anything! Please help me to be an example of Your giving love in my home!

Amen