Gospel Reflections #242: Marriage and God's Love

1 Corinthians 7:2 "But let every man take his own wife, and every woman her own husband, that he may avoid licentiousness."

These words are one of Paul's responses to the Corinthian believers' questions, written as instructions concerning marriage.

Commentaries on this verse often say that "God has ordained marriage as a permanent institution of sacred monogamy," and that "over time some individuals and communities have distorted this institution to satisfy their own sexual desires."

In this light, it may seem that the institution of marriage was given only for the sake of a sexual ethical framework, but is that really all there is to it?

I feel that the relationship between a husband and wife is the closest of all, a relationship in which everything is laid bare, and therefore requires more patience and sacrifice than pleasure and enjoyment.

Under such circumstances, I feel that God has created an environment for us to practice receiving and giving God's love.

I feel that through the one-on-one relationship we are taught to forgive, to complement each other, to understand each other, to encourage each other, to give of ourselves, and to rejoice in our sacrifices.

When our marriages are polygamous, we find escape and avoid facing each other. We human beings choose only what is pleasing to us.

Knowing our weakness and foolishness, God not only gives us the chance to face Him and our marriage partners in an environment from which we cannot escape, but also to know that He is there for us as well.

There may be no escape in the human relationship of monogamy, but in our relationship with God,

God is our escape, our hiding place, and our healing place.　God has faithfully and surely provided us with places of escape. By making much use of this, we can touch God's love and share His love!

First, we ourselves should not run away from our relationship with God, but face it, experience God's love a lot, and rejoice in God's love first, and then be those who can use God's love we have received to influence love in the relationships around us.

God's love has great power to transform us in such a way. Our God is love itself!

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.