Jenn is hosting a link-up of other bloggers studying Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. If you’d like to see what they have to say, check it out. If you want to read my previous chapter reviews, go here.
Chapter 7: Sacred History: Building the Spiritual Discipline of Perseverance
In fact, some experts suggest it takes from nine to fourteen years for a couple to truly “create and form its being.”
As Gary pointed out in this chapter, as our lifespans have increased, so has the time in which we have to be married. People live longer now, giving us more time to live with our spouses. Still, God didn’t create marriage for “life or 15 years, whichever comes first.” He created it for a lifetime, no matter how long that happens to be at any given time.
Gary also points out that we are creating history. I’d never thought of it that way in regard to my marriage. I’ve often wondered how future generations will be taught about the politics and world events of our day. But never have I thought that I am daily creating the history of my marriage. What kind of history and culture are we recording for our children, grandchildren, and future generations of our family? And because we are Christians, our marriage has eternal significance. So there’s no way I can ever dream of quitting.
I can’t stand a quitter. Growing up, I knew someone who would always quit when he was tagged “it.” We all knew it was going to happen. We’d tell him before we started playing, “Don’t quit when you get tagged.” He always promised he wouldn’t. And maybe the first time he didn’t, but if he got tagged again, he certainly would. Even as a kid, quitters irritated me. And now as an adult, I live among a bunch of quitters. Our culture can’t stand contracts and commitments. Sadly, there are many who treat their marriage like a cell phone contract – one that you can “get out of” if you’re willing to pay a fee.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 says, “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”
Christ’s perseverance. He is the ultimate example of never quitting, even when things were hard. I’d like to be able to say that I had Christ’s perseverance when it comes to my marriage, and really, my whole life.
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