Sunday, June 22, 2008

Attack on Marriage

Many of you have probably heard about how California (where I currently live) as of June 17th has made it legal for homosexual couples to marry. A few years ago the voters had voted down this same thing and it is going to be on the ballot again this fall. However, we have a couple of judges who have decided they know best and they have basically said "Who cares what the voters say, we are going to overrule it all!"

Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage did a post on this a few days ago that is really good. I recommend you take a few moments to read it - What is in Your Camp? - It IS indecent

After reading her post, the comments others posted regarding her post and reflecting on things I've been seeing and experiencing in my own life and the lives of those dear to me I realized something.

The Enemy is determined to destroy marriage. God gave us marriage as a gift, a beautiful thing to be shared between a man and a woman in which they can begin to experience the relationship the Lord wants with each of us. The Enemy hates that, so he is going to twist this gift as much as possible so we miss the true meaning behind it.

This legalization of gay marriage is not the only way he is attacking marriage. This is just the most recent way he has been doing it. Unfortunately, many of us are so focused on just this one thing that we don't realize as Christians we have in many ways accepted other ways he has set out to destroy marriage. Having and raising a family outside of wedlock, living together when not married, have sexual relations outside of marriage and having affairs has become common in our society. In some cases these things are even considered normal and perfectly acceptable.

Then even if we do recongize these things are distortions of God's true gift, we become judges with no compassion. We start to attack the people who are being deceived by the Enemy instead of loving them and just hating the sin. To be honest this is a hard concept to get and even harder to live out. But with God's help we can do it.

I'm asking that you join me. Not only in becoming politically active to try to turn around our country, but more importantly to join me on my knees. Cry out to the Lord to show us how to take back our country, our world while still showing compassion for those who are being deceived. Those who the Lord loves deeply, who the Enemy is currently deceiving. Help us to see what marriage is really about, a true picture of marriage through God's eyes.

Unfortunately right now, the church's view of marriage is not all that different from the world's view. Our track record is just as bad as those who do not attend church. If we cannot "get it" how can we expect the world to understand what we are trying to tell them? Do we each love our spouses the way the Lord wants us to love them? Do we really understand this gift the Lord has given to us. Are we living it out the way He wants us to? I know if I am honest, I have a lot to learn still and I am far from being an example to the world of what the Lord's gift should look like.

2 comments:

Dineen A. Miller said...

Awesome post, Ang. We really do have to start with ourselves, our own marriages. I wonder if believing couples just take what they have or could potentially have for granted. Marriage is a daily commitment. So many seem to miss this and forget to choose to love their spouse.

Unknown said...

Ang,

Thank you for your boldness to speak out. I am with you. On my knees and I WILL be politically active. What would God say to me when I get to heaven if I just sat back and did nothing. I can't bear to think it. I will serve. Whatever the cost.

Fantastic post. Thanks for the kind words and the link. Love you girl. Lynn