‘Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. ‘ Ecclesiastes 9:9(NLT)
‘How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O queenly maiden. Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a skilled craftsman. Your navel is perfectly formed like a goblet filled with mixed wine. Between your thighs lies a mound of wheat bordered with lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, twin fawns of a gazelle. Your neck is as beautiful as an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus.’ Song of Songs 7:1-4(NLT)
‘I am my lover’s, and he claims me as his own. Come, my love, let us go out to the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers. Let us get up early and go to the vineyards to see if the grapevines have budded, if the blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love.’ Song of Songs 7:10-12(NLT)
‘Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.’ Proverbs 5:18-19(NLT)
‘“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.’ Matthew 7:12(NLT)
‘Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. ‘ Revelation 2:5(NLT)
Being engaged can be a lot of fun. It’s full of so much anticipation and excitement, yet it’s such a small window of time in the context of an entire life spent together. How can you carry that fun of courtship, engagement, and the honeymoon into year after year of marriage? How can you have fun when you’re facing financial strains, problems with the kids, or just the normal changing seasons of life? Do you have to keep pursuing your spouse even after you’ve already “caught” them?
Yes! You have to make fun a priority. It may seem like a luxury you can’t afford, but the reality is, it’s a necessary part of having a marriage that goes the distance. Fun is a requirement. And you can choose to have fun with your spouse.
What if someone else’s marriage looks more fun than yours? What if that girl at the bank laughs at your jokes? What if that guy at the office always seems to have better weekend plans? If the grass looks greener somewhere else — water your lawn! Be intentional about intimacy and connectedness. Work to get back to being best friends: laughing together, snuggling, looking to each other for comfort and joy. It may not seem fun to schedule time for fun, but that may be where you need to start. And that relationship is what you want anyway, isn’t it?
Let’s pray together: Father, we repent for the things we’ve allowed to crowd out our time with each other. Help us to make time for down time as a couple. Give us wisdom and creativity to find ways we enjoy being together. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
from From This Day Forward by Craig & Amy Groeschel