Friday, August 31, 2007 at 12:12am
If you had Jesus by your side ...
Column: For His Glory
If you had Jesus by your side as you read this article, what would you talk to Him about? What a privilege that would be, to have him by your side to talk to Him and share what's on your heart. If you were going through a marital problem, let's say your spouse had a drug relapse and you were sick and tired of your spouse's poor excuses for giving in to his addictions — what would you say to Jesus who is by your side?
Maybe you would tell him how exhausted you are, dealing with the situation. That you feel like you are unwilling to fight for your marriage, despite your vows to stick to your marriage in sickness or in health, in good and in bad times. Why should you stick around when your spouse is failing miserably on his half of the vows? Where does it say in the Bible that you have to stay in a marriage when one partner lives a life with such destructive behavior? As you share your hurt with Jesus, what do you think He would say and do? You know Jesus would speak about forgiveness, but does that necessarily mean living in such an unstable home? Does forgiveness always mean you have to put up with everything?
I would bet that you would ask questions as to why your spouse gives in to drugs when so many people are praying for him. Why does prayer seem so ineffective when it comes to life's problems? Why, Jesus, must you suffer when all you want is a marriage free from drugs, a home where there is stability, even if you recognize there will be hard times? You would gladly take the arguments all marriages have if only you could be assured that drugs would never be in the picture. You would share with Jesus that your spouse's drug use is driving you away and shaking your confidence in God in these early stages of your Christian walk. You did not expect these kinds of trials, especially after you were baptized with your now struggling husband.
If only Jesus could assure you that your husband will overcome his addition and your marriage would survive, then maybe you could hold on during this inexpressible dark hour. Yet when you do not see the light beyond this gloom, what are you to do? Oh, if Jesus were right by your side as you read this article, what would you tell Him? As you wept on His shoulder, exhausted because of your struggle with your spouse, what words would come from your crying voice? What would you say?
If Jesus were by your side as you read this article, would you express your brokenness? What would you say? The truth is, if you are feeling broken over a failing marriage or exhausted to the point of indifference, Jesus is by your side. You can talk to Him, for He has promised never to leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). You can cry out to Jesus, because He is always by our side waiting to heal failing marriages and broken lives. Open up your heart to Him and speak to Him as if He is right there next to you as you read this article, because He is.
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Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
Maybe you would tell him how exhausted you are, dealing with the situation. That you feel like you are unwilling to fight for your marriage, despite your vows to stick to your marriage in sickness or in health, in good and in bad times. Why should you stick around when your spouse is failing miserably on his half of the vows? Where does it say in the Bible that you have to stay in a marriage when one partner lives a life with such destructive behavior? As you share your hurt with Jesus, what do you think He would say and do? You know Jesus would speak about forgiveness, but does that necessarily mean living in such an unstable home? Does forgiveness always mean you have to put up with everything?
I would bet that you would ask questions as to why your spouse gives in to drugs when so many people are praying for him. Why does prayer seem so ineffective when it comes to life's problems? Why, Jesus, must you suffer when all you want is a marriage free from drugs, a home where there is stability, even if you recognize there will be hard times? You would gladly take the arguments all marriages have if only you could be assured that drugs would never be in the picture. You would share with Jesus that your spouse's drug use is driving you away and shaking your confidence in God in these early stages of your Christian walk. You did not expect these kinds of trials, especially after you were baptized with your now struggling husband.
If only Jesus could assure you that your husband will overcome his addition and your marriage would survive, then maybe you could hold on during this inexpressible dark hour. Yet when you do not see the light beyond this gloom, what are you to do? Oh, if Jesus were right by your side as you read this article, what would you tell Him? As you wept on His shoulder, exhausted because of your struggle with your spouse, what words would come from your crying voice? What would you say?
If Jesus were by your side as you read this article, would you express your brokenness? What would you say? The truth is, if you are feeling broken over a failing marriage or exhausted to the point of indifference, Jesus is by your side. You can talk to Him, for He has promised never to leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). You can cry out to Jesus, because He is always by our side waiting to heal failing marriages and broken lives. Open up your heart to Him and speak to Him as if He is right there next to you as you read this article, because He is.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.