A Moment With Pastor Fred

6/21/19

Forty years ago today Sue and I took our vows as husband and wife.  Gary Thomas in his book, Sacred Marriage, writes, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than happy?” 

God doesn’t want us to have miserable marriages. But his intent is beyond immediate happiness. Rom 8:29 tells us God’s goal is to make us more like Christ – and marriage can help in that.  

“But I’m not married.” God’s truth involves whatever situation we find ourselves in. All life events are pathways to greater sanctification. It must be our consuming desire to glorify God in all we do – married, single, divorced, widowed, etc. I believe God has used my marriage to make me more like Christ. Don’t misunderstand – I love being married to Sue, and I believe she enjoys that I’m her husband. However, these past 40 years have been used by God to make us more like Christ. I don’t need to concentrate on how to change Sue – I need to focus on how God wants to change me. 

 Ultimate fulfillment in life is found only in God. Susan can’t make me happy.  We’ve shared some wonderful times together as husband and wife. She is a wife beyond my dreams. But she can’t be God.  Only he can fill the void my sin creates. This is why I need the gospel in my marriage. The gospel reminds me I’m a sinner in need of a Savior. Marriages are opportunities to grow deeper with God.  All of life situations are tools designed by God to draw us into a more intimate relationship with him.