Christ's Love & Marriage

Concerning marriage, I have become convinced that it's purpose is to mold us in to individuals who are able to concur the barriers that hinder true love for others. This conclusion stems from my own experiences as well as from my knowledge of our Lord's Gospel. Is it all inclusive? I doubt that very much, but the Lord told us to love our wives as Christ loves the church. So, just how much does Christ love the church?

Christ loves the church more than I'm able to comprehend, I do know that much. It's an amount of love that I would like to have towards my wife, but to this day I haven't found it in me. Why? Why can't I love my wife as much as Christ our Lord loves each of us? Plain and simple--she drives me insane with her moods and behavior that's very much the opposite of mine. Sound familiar yet?

The reason should sound familiar to each of us because in the flesh we're very much the opposite of Christ when we listen to our fleshly desires instead of God's will for us. But, God's love for us never fails and never waivers. I know with all certainty that I disappoint on a daily basis. I can admit that and it sickens me to know it's true. So, where have those barriers to God's love for us gone? Does God even have barriers for His love towards us? I don't know. What I do know is in my own little world, my marriage has issues that need solved--like many. Or do they need solved?

Should our goal in a marriage be to solve everything we perceive to be a problem? Can you ever completely stop sinning? Who really needs to be our focus in our own life's journey? From my study of Scripture and many nights of pleading with the Lord to help solve my marriage issues, I've come to believe that not all my problems are not meant to be solved. I believe problems are there to teach us and to help us learn to handle them in a manner that pleases our Father in Heaven.

Instead of praying to the Lord and asking Him to take away my wife's severe need to be a neat freak, I ask the Father for patience and long suffering--just like the Lord shows us each and every day of our own lives.