Loving God's Version of Love

As I rode into work today I listened to a local radio station talking about Marriage. I was prepared for them to be unable to do it justice as all four anchors are less than imitable in the marriage department. The topic of their discussion was "Men looking to brag about their marriage". 

When the lead anchor started the discussion he led off by saying this would most likely be a very short segment, because he was sure there wouldn't be anyone to call in- that there weren't many men willing to "brag" about how great it is to be married and how much they love marriage. Listen to this interesting discussion here.  In fact,  this discussion was prompted because last week on a guy's panel of the same show, they claimed that the men were saying how "uncool" it was to be married and how men look at marriage as being a "ball and chain".   

To his (and my!) surprise he said "The lines are just lit up- I am amazed!".  Turns out our men all over Atlanta were happy to brag about Marriage...

This got me reflecting on my own marriage- there are certainly times I think Billy would not want to call into the Bert show (like yesterday in fact!!!) to brag about our marriage, but all in all- What a gift marriage is. I am married to a man who works hard for our family, loves me whole heartily and is THE BEST father I have ever seen.   I decided to do a study on marriage (using the following verse as my main scripture):

^{Micah 2: 13-17 (the message version)}

these blocks are separate/dismembered

^13-15And here's a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don't get what you want from God. Do you know why? Simple. Because God was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you've broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse.

 ¹⁶"I hate divorce," says the God of Israel. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says, "I hate the violent dismembering of the 'one flesh' of marriage." So watch yourselves. Don't let your guard down. Don't cheat.

 ¹⁷You make God tired with all your talk. "How do we tire him out?" you ask.

   By saying, "God loves sinners and sin alike. God loves all." And also by saying, "Judgment? God's too nice to judge.

I bold-ed and italicized the passages that struck me the most. God's spirit inhabits the smallest details of marriage and separation dismembers the "one flesh" of marriage. Divorce is an obvious separation, but I started thinking about the smaller aspects of separation- the things I do that separate me from Billy. MY sin. God says in verse 16- don't let your guard down. I think the ways I let my guard down the most are in my level of respect when I communicate to him. I have decided to do a better job expressing to him how I respect him and capitalizing on all the moments when he does things well. 

Please comment on some things you do (accidentally or not) to separate yourself from your spouse or ways that you could work to bring you and your other half closer...

For further study Here are the main discoveries I found:

Marriage is part of God’s plan for the human race:

From creation Mt 19:4 pp Mk 10:6 See also Ge 1:27; 1Co 11:11-12 Man and woman are not independent of each other.

It is to provide companionship Ge 2:18See also Ge 2:20-22; Ge 3:12; Pr 31:10-12

It is to be a committed, exclusive relationship Ge 2:23-24 See also Mt 19:5pp Mk 10:7-8; 1Co 7:2; Eph 5:31

It is a lifelong partnership Mt 19:6 pp Mk 10:9 See also Ro 7:2; 1Co 7:39

It is the intended context for raising children Mal 2:15 See also 1Co 7:14

It will not exist in the life to come Mt 22:30 pp Mk 12:25 pp Lk 20:34-35; 1Co 7:29-31

Marriage as a covenant relationship Mal 2:14 See also Pr 2:17; Eze 16:8