Christian Marriage

I’m feeling a little nostalgic as I am sitting at home on the couch with a fever (forgive me if there are many typos and weird sentences in this post). I just watched the movie, “the Notebook”. It is one of the only romantic dramas that Kristian likes. The reason he likes it is because of the loyalty and devotion that the main couple shares for each other (albeit imperfectly), and how that loyalty and devotion perserveres through difficulty and old age.

Kristian is the most loyal and devoted person I have ever met. I have always loved that about him. I know he will always love me, not perfectly, but he always will—through good and bad times—always. As Kristian grows in Christ daily, his love for me becomes more and more Christ-like in such beautiful ways. He loves me in ways that are sacrificial and cost him something. He loves me in ways that are for my good, even when I don't always enjoy what that entails. He loves me in ways that are extravagant so that I can see that he loves me and so that I can experience joy. He loves me as his chosen bride. He seeks relationship with me by getting to know me more and more and by opening up to me. He seeks relationship with me by being quick to reconcile when we are fighting. I am a very blessed woman. I love that he wants our marriage to reflect our first love--God Himself. We both want our marriage to reflect the gospel, so that we would know God more and more and so that we would reflect God’s image (to each other and to others). I desperately pray to God to grow me in Christ-like love for Kristian. I want my motive in that to be God’s glory, Kristian’s joy, and my joy in those things! I miss Kristian a lot right now since we are apart for several weeks due to his work. I pray that this would be a time to grow in Christ-like love. This is the verse that I want to characterize my love for Kristian:

Phil 2:1-11 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.