Word of God : Love blinds, but does it binds??
(#125 18 Oct 2005)
‘Neither do men put new wine into old bottles; else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish….’
Matthew 9:17
Divorce is one of the major growth areas, which is great if you are a lawyer, but not otherwise, for it brings about a multitude of negative consequences, amongst which is that you or your family could eventually move away from God.
In days of old, the Chinese emperors who were rather privileged to have a harem, whose numbers a calendar year could not adequately cover, simply consigned their out of favor fairer halves to oblivion in the remote reaches of the palace.
Today, in modern times, couples think that they are more practical, at least in the West, (though the East are not far behind), they either
- co-habitate or
- have pre-nuptial agreements or
- decide to go for the same gender, for some decide that the same breed should lead to less differences in habits
It is understandable when you realize that today for eg in America, 25% of adults aged between 18-35 years come from divorced families. Love to them might seem like a bondage.
God, in His Words, have addressed this issue on the irrevocable sanctity of marriage.
Yet, it is not for me to make a judgement on those who do or think otherwise, for each of us are individually accountable to the Lord for our thoughts and actions.
‘….be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’
1 Thessalonians 5:23
But rather, in the past two months of my journey with Him, God has shown me on a personal level, the importance of staying committed to my spouse, to my fellow believers, for we are the body of Christ.
This unity, which is bound by love for God and for our neighbours, ensures that we do not lose our focus on God, for the consequences will be dire. The gates of Hell are but a shorter whisper than the words ‘I do’
I have been married 15 years(from the date of my wedding ceremony) and 17 years(if we count from Registration of Marriage day, which happens to be on Christmas Eve).
Like any relationships, there were occasions of conflicts or dissatisfactions, which if allowed to fester, could seriously degenerate into a deeper frayed relationship and possibly, a break from what binds our love, if we allow the imbalance of emotions to deepen further by turning away from God and instead turning on each other.
Thankfully, by God’s grace, as we seek Him more deeply, as we desire to walk with Him every day and every way of our lives, somehow, our natural selfish senses and self-righteous benchmark of right and wrong, inexplicably seems to have less hold on us.
The last 2 months, as you might have sensed in my emails, I have been going through a personal struggle. It is not about my spouse, but rather, about my relationship with fellow believers and ultimately, God.
We are the body of Christ. Our unity to a large extent reflects our relationship with God.
‘For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins’
Hebrews 10:26
Like many who have or are going through a difficult period with their loved ones, I often go to God asking
- am I right or is he or she wrong??
- And I start to believe that verses or events that I encounter are from God and justifies my chosen course of action, even if it seems to run contrary to my understanding of God’s Word in normal times
- And I might even have a surreal sense of peace thinking that God is making an exception for me
The mind is deceitful and Satan is the master of deceit.
The devil does play an active role in our road away from God if we choose to allow him to misguide us.
How did God bring me out of my illusions into the clarity of His will??
- His Words and events
- Prayerful and loving brothers and sisters who admonish us with love, when we need that ‘wake-up call’ for we cannot walk alone
- A very strong desire to seek Him and a will to let Him lead us even when we find it difficult to, and not on our own strength nor understanding
‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’
Jeremiah 33:3
If we do not seek to walk right with God, , at the onset of our challenges and sinfulness, we will increasingly find it less and less desirous to want to go near Him as we begin to move nearer to what we desire to hear.
‘….but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.’
Matthew 9:17
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