Quiet in His Love

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:28-30 ESV             Dating after marriage is viewed by many as unnecessary. Dating served you well if you’re married because you are married. You crossed the finish line when you got married, right? Now you can sit back and relax and enjoy wedded bliss. Not according to Gary Chapman, PhD. In his introduction to 52 Uncommon Dates: A Couple’s Adventure Guide for Praying, Playing, and Staying Together by Randy Southern, Chapman states, “Dating is to marriage what breathing is to the body. It brings fresh oxygen to nourish the cells of matrimony. Couples who continue dating after the wedding are far more likely to have a healthy marriage.” With this in mind, I believe it is cri...

    Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. I John 4:7-8 ESV             An important way to keep love alive in marriage is through dating your spouse. It isn’t always easy to find time or make time for dating your spouse. And sometimes it’s even harder to find a trustworthy babysitter for your kids. There are some pluses to dating after marriage that I didn’t think about until I discovered an article by Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg. In it they explain how dating after marriage is a lot less stressful than dating before marriage because you don’t have to worry about “how to dress…[or] how to impress the other person.” The Rosbergs also share that dating your spouse means that “the person you’re going to date: ·          doesn’t care how…well y...

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. Mark 10:7-9 ESV             Marriage is a joyous, scary, overwhelming, fantastic, delightful, beautiful, wonderful, powerful union of a man and a woman who have pledged their love for each other and entwined their lives together for life. This covenant relationship is not like any other relationship on earth. Dennis Rainey, founder of FamilyLife, describes the difference between a contract and a covenant this way, “A contract has an end date. A covenant is permanent. A contract usually specifies a part of a person’s property or services. A covenant involves a person’s total being, which in marriage means a commitment that extends beyond performance, health issues, and financial prosperity to a promise of lifelong...