"What has happened to all your joy?..."
Galations 4:15 (NIV)
It is a special day in our home. Ten years ago, my husband and I vowed to love each other for forever. A decade. We have had many trials and tribulations. We have hurt each other deeply through the years, but also loved each other even deeper. What no one tells you about marriage is that it is through working through all those trials that you fall deeply in love with one another. Every year...deeper and deeper. It is a beautiful thing!
We have plucked each others first grey hairs and we have laughed at old photos of us when we first met in 1998...our faces much more wrinkled and our eyes much more tired. It is somewhere in the midst of these trials and tribulations that you truly become "one" just as scripture describes. It comes in that moment when you realize you would not want to live your life without them in it. When they are around, you feel a sense of completeness. It happens when you realize that you married an imperfect person and that you too, are imperfect. It happens when you truly see the beauty in this imperfect person God has made. Imperfect...but, perfect for you. You rid your marriage of ridiculous expectations and learn to love with grace. It takes work and time, but you finally find the JOY in marriage.
It is in this moment where you start to become one with your spouse that is much like the moment when you discover God's gift of grace. We know about it. We've studied it. But, sometimes it takes a long time to truly embrace it.
You become aware of the loving presence of God. It happens the moment you realize you are no longer bound by law, but living under grace. There is this moment where you realize that He truly is all that you need.
And you begin to fall in love with Christ.
And it is strange because you may have known Him for a very long time, but you never experienced His love. You never fully experienced the JOY that comes in living under grace.
It happens when you realize that God created you knowing you were going to be imperfect. It happens when you stop trying to earn His love and realize He already loved you before you were created. Isn't that awesome?!
You see, legalism in Christianity is much like the dating/courtship period prior to marriage. You love this person, so you put on your best face. You work really hard to show them how great you are and how much you could love them. You are trying to win over their affections.
But then you get married, and you have them, and you still really want to show them you love them, but it is hard to keep up that initial act you had that swept them off their feet.
And you start to see each others imperfections and sometimes joy is lost. You wonder what happened to that "perfect" person.
And many lose their joy for God because really they never fully experienced His grace. They have not yet really fallen in love with Him because they are still trying so hard to please Him.
He is pleased with you. You are His beloved. He doesn't create junk. He doesn't want a refund for what He created. He wants you to fall in love with Him. Let Him do the work and polishing and the refining. Enjoy Him. Enjoy Him making you more like Him.
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