Marriage Monday: The Sanctuary of Christian Marriage
Posted by Andrea
I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm. (Psalm 55:8) The first Monday of the month is here, so it’s time to enjoy another edition of Marriage Monday. e-Mom over at Chrysalis usually hosts Marriage Monday, but this month she has given me an opportunity to serve as guest hostess. I’m excited about today’s topic and I look forward to reading your thoughts on this month’s theme, The Sanctuary of Christian Marriage.
God has a wonderful plan for husbands and wives but the wild roller coaster ride of marriage sometimes causes us to forget this point. God intends for marriage to be a sanctuary for the both husband and the wife and within marriage couples should find a refuge, a place of safety, and a shelter from danger. This marital sanctuary should be the place both spouses turn to for refreshment, comfort, and understanding.
Many couples (including JT and me) forget or are not sure of how to create such a safe haven, but God’s word shows us exactly how it is to be done. According to Ephesians 4:31-32, we are to “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Furthermore we are instructed to “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” If you’ve been married for more than a minute or two, you know accomplishing the goals outlined in this passage of scripture can be difficult at times. Nonetheless, God expects us to follow the directions He has outlined in His word. He will bless our marriages if we obey Him.
A marital sanctuary is created when we let go of selfishness and anger and instead offer kindness and forgiveness. When marriage is a place of safety, couples can freely express their opinions and desires without judgment and rejection. When marriage is a save haven, both husband and wife can reveal their fears and flaws without ridicule and repercussion. When marriage is a true refuge, husbands and wives have no need to put up walls or be on guard. Each person is free to be themselves and is loved exactly as they are. A couple finds a shelter from life’s storms and their deepest needs are recognized, valued, and nurtured within the sanctuary of Christian marriage.
Photo: Courtesy of Kara Nicole (Flickr)
Tags: Ephesians 4:31-32, Marriage Monday, sanctuary of marriage
I am so glad to be here…this is my first article to post in the Marriage Monday group. I cannot wait to get home tomorrow evening and dig in to read all of the great articles.
I hope everyone has a blessed day!
A very good post, Andrea. I love the Ephesians Scripture you’ve chosen: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Our marriages truly would be sanctuaries from a chaotic world if we would put that verse into practice every single day. I also enjoyed your video.
Thanks for jumping in and serving as a Marriage Monday guest hostess today. We’re so blessed to know you!
Hugs,
e-Mom
Such an awesome post.
loved this post!
Hi. I’m joining Marriage Monday for the first time today. In addition to the idea of her whole post, I especially appreciated these words that Andrea shared, “When marriage is a save haven, both husband and wife can reveal their fears and flaws without ridicule and repercussion.”
It makes me think about the important shift away from thinking that marriage is an ideal that is realized on day one, but that day one, and two and fifty and 1000 is when we learn to be more tender-hearted 24/7 when we are working toward the ideal.
Thank you for hosting. I love the song you chose. That is the song that has been special to us and was sung at our wedding. God bless you
Wow, this was great!! I’m sorry I didn’t get to participate Andrea, but I did a post on this topic and directed them to your page!
Loved the song, I danced to that song for our 25th wedding anniversary. You got me all teary eyed!!
Amen, sister. Thanks for hosting us today.
thank you for the good encouragement.
Good Morning , Thank you for the kindness of hosting.
I enjoyed the tune played. I also found pleasure in your post. So true the foundation of choice set in that passage. We must daily make a choice as to how to respond within our hearts as well as through our behaviors.
Andrea,
Thank you so much for hostessing today! I agree with e-Mom on the verse from Ephesians…excellent verse. Thank you for a wonderful post!
Wonderful post! Bless you for hosting this week.
This post is truly inspiring, thanks for sharing!
What a lovely post . . thank you for your thoughts and insights. I will try and participate in the future.
Thanks again for hostessing this month, Andrea.
Hugs, e-Mom :~D