the power to live this way because I’m in you, and I’m with you, and I’m for you--seek My Kingdom. Seek My Kingdom. Seek my Kingdom. Seek my Kingdom. Seek My Kingdom,” and watch what God will do in your marriage--it’s a new and better way. It’s the way of grace. Am I excited? You can feel my excitement right down to my toes. I want this for me, and I want this for everybody in this room. It’s a better way. And it took an Almighty God to have His feet touch earth and His body be ravaged to the point of death so that you and I would enjoy this beautiful thing that we could never earn. Why wouldn’t you want this Kingdom? Why wouldn’t you want your marriage to live smack dab in the center of this Kingdom? How about making God’s treasures your treasures in your marriage? You see, to the degree that God’s treasures are your treasures in your marriage, to that degree, your marriage will be enhanced, and grow, and mature, and change. Maybe you say, “Well, Paul, I sort of get this, but can you be more specific?” Let me give you an illustration; it won’t be the lifestyle of every marriage in this room, but I think you’ll get on board with it. Pretend there’s a husband and a wife; they have three young children, and so the wife is a stay-home mom; the husband is a work-a-day dad, and the one thing that the husband enjoys is that warm, home-cooked meal at the end of the day. He doesn’t actually care if it’s home-cooked--you can hide the containers. But he likes that warm meal, and he wakes up one morning, goes to get his cup of coffee, and on the kitchen counter is this beautifully well- wrapped beef roast, and he immediately goes beef-a-logical. He immediately thinks, ”Surely God loves me.” And he knows what’s going to happen. He knows that this is going to cook for hours, and the sinew, and the fat, and the cartilage will break down, and this thing will get incredibly tender, so tender that you touch it with a fork, and it lays open in front of you--be that deep dark brown, rich, glorious color; he can smell beef roast. And he’s thinking about that rich brown gravy that will result, coursing over the edge of those beautiful whipped potatoes. He’s singing the doxology at this point. And he has one of those distracted days at work where you keep thinking about the beef that’s in your future. And at the end of the day, he has one those numb-drives home; you know, where you just sort of arrive in your driveway; you don’t remember stopping at lights; you don’t remember making turns. You wonder how many people died on the way home. And you run up the stairs, and you throw open the door in anticipation. Doesn’t smell like beef roast--smells like a house fire--911! But you’re not giving up. You grab a knife and a fork. You plop yourself down in your chair, and you say, “I’m starved!” And in an act of embarrassment and apology, your wife puts this burnt ember in front of you, and you say, “Are you kidding me? Do you know how hard I work? Do you know what I do? I do and do for you, and this is the thanks I get? An edible meal would be helpful! What did you do all day? You don’t work!” Now what is that wife thinking? “I love this man. I’m thankful he’s in my life. I’m glad God delivered him to me.” I think not. She’s devastated! That’s the nasty kingdom of self. Wind back--same morning, same beef roast, same beef-a-logical dreams, same distracted day at work, same numb-drive home, same run up the steps, same throw open the door, same nasty smells, same plopping yourself down at the table, and your wife puts in front of you this burnt ember in embarrassment and apology. And as she’s apologizing, you grab her hand, and you say, “Dear, look at me. I love you. I’m blown away by your love for me, being the broken person that I am. I watch you with our children; I’m stunned at your perseverance! I think of all the things you do to make my life easier. I think of your commitment. Dear, hear what I’m about to say. ‘If all I have to deal with is an occasional burnt roast, I’m a man who’s been deeply blessed by God, I love you. It’s okay.’” That’s the Kingdom of God. What’s that woman feeling? “I don’t know what kind of mojo this man has, but I want more of it.”—“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, against such things there is no law.” It’s not the way of law; this is the way of grace. This is the good thing that God calls you to live in. Listen! In every small moment of your marriage, you’re making kingdom choices. Will I give way to indulging the instincts of the kingdom of self, or will I say, “By grace, God has called me to and empowers me to live in a much better Kingdom?”
Transcript: Session 8
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
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