When you think about it, God has not only designed marriage to be separated by death, He has also designed it to be kept by death. What do I mean? The first death that ends a marriage is physical but the second death that keeps a marriage is personal- a death to self. Death to self is the embodiment of selflessness. Death to self is the gospel marital blueprint for us followers of Christ. In the gospel, for Christ to win His bride, He had to die. The heart behind His death is a simple message for married couples- serve your spouse and not your flesh.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Have you adopted this gospel blueprint for your marriage? So how does dying to self look like? Here are a few examples. When you apologise to your spouse, the marriage thrives while your pride dies. When you say no to gestures from other attractive people, the marriage thrives while your lust dies. When you celebrate the wins of your spouse, the marriage thrives while your envy dies. When you give your spouse full access to your money, the marriage thrives while your greed dies. When you exercise and watch your diet for your physical health and your marital sex life, the marriage thrives while your gluttony dies. In a conflict, when you seek to understand before you seek to be understood, the marriage thrives while your wrath dies. When you inconvenience yourself to serve your spouse, the marriage thrives while your sloth dies.
But if you refuse to die to self, the marriage dies but your ego thrives. God has designed marriage to end with death but also to be kept by death. Are you dying to self? The real solution to whether your marriage lives or not is based on whether you die or not. Die today.
