We Will Not Be Shaken

    

"It could never happen to us..."

I wonder how many people who are divorced today, or who are in the brutal process of divorce, have said that?

Many people have lost their jobs and homes in this insane economy, and we feel sad when when we see it happen to other people, but, really, "it could never happen to us!" we say.  I bet all those other people probably said that too, at one time or another.

We say the same thing when we see other people suddenly announce they are getting a divorce.

What I'm seeing in this sobering season that our world is in, is that truly, everything that can be shaken, is being shaken.

And "it" absolutely could happen to any of us... if we choose to be selfish.  If we want our way more than we want what is best for our spouse. 

Fact:  The cause of All divorce is selfishness.

Yep, that's right. Selfishness. My selfishness. Your selfishness.  And as difficult as that bitter little pill is to swallow, you're going to have to swallow it, if there is to be any hope for saving your marriage. 

But it has to start with you.

It has to start with me.

Don't get caught in the trap of the blame game.  If you are in that crazy cycle of pointing the finger of accusation at your spouse, "Yeah but, it's her fault!" Or, "No, he's to blame!" Get off that not-so-merry-go-round.  It will lead you nowhere but to divorce court.

"But you don't know what he did!" you argue.  "You don't know what she said!"

Here's what you need to ask yourself: is what he or she did to you beyond the grace and forgiveness of the Savior who forgave you of everything that you did to Him?

"Yeah, but he pierced my heart with his insensitivity to what I wanted in the relationship!"  Or, "But she cursed me and rejected me, even though all I wanted to do was love her and do what was best for her!"

Sound familiar?

If you are a follower of Christ, the way you need to look at your spouse and at your marriage is that God has given you the amazing privilege, and equally awesome responsibility of loving and serving His own daughter or son.

Kind of puts it in a whole new perspective, doesn't it? 

It should.

The same applies to your children. If you are divorcing your spouse and you have children, not only are you destroying the family that God made you to be together, but you are inflicting long-term emotional trauma upon your children, that you have no way of knowing today, what disastrous effects this will have on them 10, 20 or 30 years down the road.

It's selfishness.

Look, I know how hard it is.  Believe me, I know.  I've done all the above.  I've been that incredibly selfish.

The bottom line is, it has to start with you.  You have to love God enough to make the choice to die to your selfishness first.   

Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you;  that you love one another as I have loved you."  (John 13:34).

Love and forgiveness is a choice. 

But love and forgiveness cannot happen unless you extend it.  You have to act on it. You have to do it.

In these perilous times of selfishness, materialism, idolatry and people loving themselves more than they love God and more than they love others, we who claim to be followers of Christ have to choose to set our hearts on the heavenly things, and not on the vain things of this earth that perish.  It's amazing to me the kinds of things that married people divide over that leads them to divorce each other. It's selfishness.

Is God speaking to you today about your heart?

Hebrews 12:25-28

"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,  whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

Jesus said,   "If a man loves Me he will keep My commandments."

The bottom line is, since God demonstrated His love for us by sending His son to die on a cross for us, will we love Him by dying to our own selfish wants, hard hearts, and bad attitudes?

If we truly do love Him, we will choose to die to our own selfishness, and then choose to forgive, and to love, and to serve our spouses—as His own daughter, or His own son.

It's about love.  Not 'feelings' of love.  But of a demonstration of God's love.

Together—we must choose to declare:   "We Will Not Be Shaken!"

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.