Sacred Ardor
Femininity that makes marriage dreams come true.
Marriage is a depressing thing these days. People marry on a whim, or because of attraction. Decide a year or so later that they really hate each other. Then get a divorce. Only to "fall in love" all over again and re-start the whole process. Even the Christian church declares "Happily Ever After" a myth. Leslie Ludy recounts in her book a time when she saw a banner hanging outside a mega-church in her area. The banner read "Divorce Recovery Seminar This Weekend!". This church was declaring that they had the same problems as the rest of the world, so much so, that they have seminars about it.
"Christian marriages should be the example to the rest of the world, demonstrating that following God's ways brings abundant life, joy, peace, and supernatural victory. Instead, we are training our young people to take dismal expectations into marriage and cautioning them not get their hopes up to high."
Make Jesus Christ your first Love
It's true that marriage isn't always perfect. Troubles come. Hard times seem never ending. Marriage will let you down, if thats where you think you'll find your true fulfillment. If you think you'll never be happy until you meet Prince Charming, then you can forget it, because one day, Prince Charming is going to fall off the pedestal you put him on, and reality will slap you in the face.
Leslie Ludy says, that as a married woman, she has a choice to make. "I could either gripe, complain, nag, and nitpick until my ideal picture of married life was finally met (which might be never), or I could turn to the true Lover of my soul, Jesus Christ, and find my happiness and fulfillment in Him alone. I chose the latter. Though it wasn't easy, I allowed Jesus Christ to be enough - to be everything I could ever want or need - even if none of my marriage dreams ever came true..."
An amazing thing happened when Leslie sought her joy, peace and fulfillment in Christ, instead of in her married "ideal". She no longer looked to her husband to meet the needs that only her Prince could fulfill in her life.
"Instead of always worrying about whether he was meeting my needs or fulfilling my romantic ideals, I was able to focus on serving him and giving to him."
Thus, she was able to start a pattern in her marriage of servanthood instead of selfishness.
"The reason our Love story thrives is because we make Jesus Christ our first love."
In the end of this chapter Leslie Ludy presents a historical account of the romance betweene Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand. Throughout their marriage, their love for Christ came first. Richard was sent to prison for 10 years (sorry, no date nights or counseling sessions for these folks). During that time the only communication they had was a single note, scribbled in Richard's distinct handwriting. With only a moment to write, Richard wrote: "Time and distance quench small love , but makes a great love grow stronger." Their hardships and trials they suffered during their marriage were enough to divorce thousands of celebrities today. And still their marriage and their love for one another thrived because it was founded on CHRIST, not themselves. I highly suggest you pick up a copy of "Set Apart Femininity" and read this amazing account. <3
"If you pour out yourself for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom shall be as the noonday. (Is 58) Here, I think, lies the answer to the barrenness of a single life, or of a life that might be otherwise selfish or lonely... You yourself will be given light in exchange for pouring yourself out, you yourself will get guidance, the satisfaction of your longings and the strength when you pour yourself out; when you make the satisfaction of somebody else's desire your own concern."
- Elisabeth Elliot
Marriage is a depressing thing these days. People marry on a whim, or because of attraction. Decide a year or so later that they really hate each other. Then get a divorce. Only to "fall in love" all over again and re-start the whole process. Even the Christian church declares "Happily Ever After" a myth. Leslie Ludy recounts in her book a time when she saw a banner hanging outside a mega-church in her area. The banner read "Divorce Recovery Seminar This Weekend!". This church was declaring that they had the same problems as the rest of the world, so much so, that they have seminars about it.
"Christian marriages should be the example to the rest of the world, demonstrating that following God's ways brings abundant life, joy, peace, and supernatural victory. Instead, we are training our young people to take dismal expectations into marriage and cautioning them not get their hopes up to high."
Make Jesus Christ your first Love
It's true that marriage isn't always perfect. Troubles come. Hard times seem never ending. Marriage will let you down, if thats where you think you'll find your true fulfillment. If you think you'll never be happy until you meet Prince Charming, then you can forget it, because one day, Prince Charming is going to fall off the pedestal you put him on, and reality will slap you in the face.
Leslie Ludy says, that as a married woman, she has a choice to make. "I could either gripe, complain, nag, and nitpick until my ideal picture of married life was finally met (which might be never), or I could turn to the true Lover of my soul, Jesus Christ, and find my happiness and fulfillment in Him alone. I chose the latter. Though it wasn't easy, I allowed Jesus Christ to be enough - to be everything I could ever want or need - even if none of my marriage dreams ever came true..."
An amazing thing happened when Leslie sought her joy, peace and fulfillment in Christ, instead of in her married "ideal". She no longer looked to her husband to meet the needs that only her Prince could fulfill in her life.
"Instead of always worrying about whether he was meeting my needs or fulfilling my romantic ideals, I was able to focus on serving him and giving to him."
Thus, she was able to start a pattern in her marriage of servanthood instead of selfishness.
"The reason our Love story thrives is because we make Jesus Christ our first love."
In the end of this chapter Leslie Ludy presents a historical account of the romance betweene Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand. Throughout their marriage, their love for Christ came first. Richard was sent to prison for 10 years (sorry, no date nights or counseling sessions for these folks). During that time the only communication they had was a single note, scribbled in Richard's distinct handwriting. With only a moment to write, Richard wrote: "Time and distance quench small love , but makes a great love grow stronger." Their hardships and trials they suffered during their marriage were enough to divorce thousands of celebrities today. And still their marriage and their love for one another thrived because it was founded on CHRIST, not themselves. I highly suggest you pick up a copy of "Set Apart Femininity" and read this amazing account. <3
"If you pour out yourself for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom shall be as the noonday. (Is 58) Here, I think, lies the answer to the barrenness of a single life, or of a life that might be otherwise selfish or lonely... You yourself will be given light in exchange for pouring yourself out, you yourself will get guidance, the satisfaction of your longings and the strength when you pour yourself out; when you make the satisfaction of somebody else's desire your own concern."
- Elisabeth Elliot
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1 comment:
thanks, I copied part of your blog on my facebook. :)
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