Our entertainment-saturated society helps feed all sorts of illusions about reality. The fantasy of the perfect romantic and sexual relationship, the perfect lifestyle, and the perfect body all prove unattainable because the reality never lives up to the expectation. Let me repeat that last part: the reality never lives up to the expectation. Expectations built on a lie will always crumble in the face of reality. The hardest hit is the marriage relationship.
A society that does not honor and protect marriage undermines its very existence. Why? Because one of God's designs for marriage is to show the next generation how a husband and wife demonstrate reciprocal, sacrificial love toward each other. One of the most explicit passages of Scripture that outlines God's standard for marriage is Ephesians 5:22-33.
This topic is so vital to our having healthy, positive marriages (even for those who are not yet married) that I felt we should not rush this lesson. During the introduction today I played a 5-minute video of Andy Andrews (author and speaker) telling the story titled "Burn the Boats".
In 1519, for Hernando Cortez and his conquerors, while outnumber 5:1, burning the boats eradicated any notion of retreat from the minds of the troops and required unwavering commitment to the cause. Defeat was not an option. I found this to be an excellent illustration for the type of "commitment" that is required in marriage. We could also look at it as a powerful illustration for commitment in our spiritual lives. This kind of commitment means that you are "all in". No turning back.
Next week I will finish chapter 5 in Ephesians as we look at the details outlined by Paul for building a "Marriage As It was Meant to Be."
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