8 Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
Joy results from the knowledge that we are walking with the Lord and knowing that He is with us. We can rejoice in the blessings that He shares - some will be material, others will be relational, and still others will be internal, as we enjoy the inner working of His Spirit within us. In all things, we can be hopeful and acknowledge His faithfulness. He has provided for us to walk in joy, which is a force more powerful than we can comprehend, and certainly not something we ourselves can conjure up.
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The marriage relationship is reflective of Christ and the church, and God has wonderful intentions for this relationship, as we see in Ephesians 5:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Yesterday, I talked about the juxtaposition of Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day and the element of humility that we ideally can reflect on in relation to both those commemorations. There's another "H" word I want to deal with today, specifically regarding marriage, and it was covered in an article on The Stream website by cold-case detective and author of Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace.
He referred to a New York Times article about the most popular class at Yale University, taught by Dr. Laurie Santos, which is called "Psychology and the Good Life, which “tries to teach students how to lead a happier, more satisfying life.” Wallace writes: "Dr. Santos teaches her class that a happier life results from developing 'good habits … like students showing more gratitude, procrastinating less, [and] increasing social connections.' But she may be missing something far more important to long-term happiness: marriage."
He noted that a Wall Street Journal article the same day...
Wallace believes it's more effective for academicians to be teaching the "benefits of marriage," rather than "better time management skills and social strategies.
He also states, "If you’re a Christian, you already know this valuable truth," saying:
God ordained the institution of marriage, the one-flesh relationship, as we read in Genesis chapter 2. He has incredible intentions for men and women as they come together in the manner which He intends. Unfortunately, we see the perversions of this institution that have become threats to it - the plague of cohabitation, the scourge of adultery, the confusion in male-female relationships in culture, and the advent of same-sex marriage.
Sounds like we need to go back to the basics and realize that when we zero-in on God's plan, we can experience God's blessings. If our relationships and our marriages are built on His firm foundation, we can see Him bring us together in incredible love, which can produce happiness in our lives - a concept consistent in these survey outcomes that J. Warner Wallace was talking about.
This is a powerful message, and in a restless world seeking for happiness, like the students at Yale apparently are doing, God's truth - again - offers answers that are being sought.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
He referred to a New York Times article about the most popular class at Yale University, taught by Dr. Laurie Santos, which is called "Psychology and the Good Life, which “tries to teach students how to lead a happier, more satisfying life.” Wallace writes: "Dr. Santos teaches her class that a happier life results from developing 'good habits … like students showing more gratitude, procrastinating less, [and] increasing social connections.' But she may be missing something far more important to long-term happiness: marriage."
He noted that a Wall Street Journal article the same day...
...summarized a U.K. study which found that married people are happier than unmarried people, even when these unmarried people are living together.
The study, published in December 2017 in the Journal of Happiness Studies, also found, unsurprisingly, that the better the relationship between spouses (the closer the connection and the more loving the interaction), the happier and more satisfying the results.Wallace also writes:
This seems to complement prior studies describing married men as happier than single men, and reporting married people as healthier, wealthier and more satisfied. In fact, one study found married people have lower cortisol levels (a stress hormone). They are therefore are less likely to have heart problems, decreased immunity, diabetes or cancer. Married people are even more likely to survive cancer, should they contract the disease.
Happy, committed marriages result in happier, healthier people, and spouses aren’t the only ones who benefit. In virtually every metric by which we measure healthy, well-adjusted children, kids do better when raised by two biological parents in a low-conflict setting.I would say that is not meant, in any way, to denigrate the enormous number of single-parent households, where one parent is attempting to raise a child or children in a quality way. But, the road is certainly tougher, as I would imagine single parents would testify.
Wallace believes it's more effective for academicians to be teaching the "benefits of marriage," rather than "better time management skills and social strategies.
He also states, "If you’re a Christian, you already know this valuable truth," saying:
Christians are more likely to marry than non-Christians. Recent research reveals that most couples who identify themselves as “very happy” agree with the statement, “God is at the center of our marriage.”Plus, "married couples who attend church together are more likely to live longer, avoid depression and stay married." Wallace says, "Maybe that’s why studies also reveal that Christians are the 'happiest among all faith groups.'"
God ordained the institution of marriage, the one-flesh relationship, as we read in Genesis chapter 2. He has incredible intentions for men and women as they come together in the manner which He intends. Unfortunately, we see the perversions of this institution that have become threats to it - the plague of cohabitation, the scourge of adultery, the confusion in male-female relationships in culture, and the advent of same-sex marriage.
Sounds like we need to go back to the basics and realize that when we zero-in on God's plan, we can experience God's blessings. If our relationships and our marriages are built on His firm foundation, we can see Him bring us together in incredible love, which can produce happiness in our lives - a concept consistent in these survey outcomes that J. Warner Wallace was talking about.
This is a powerful message, and in a restless world seeking for happiness, like the students at Yale apparently are doing, God's truth - again - offers answers that are being sought.
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