Again for the nth time he asked me this question...
Is religion a factor or a basis for you to marry a person?
Without second thoughts I know the answer. That's a definite YES. Because, indeed it is one of the most important factor.It's actually top 4 on my list of to do things before settling down. To others maybe, I sound like a hypocrite. Before I came back to Christ, I never really thought of marrying someday. I always live in the 'present'. But when things changed, my perspective in the future goes with it too. That is to have a family of my own someday, not only that this time I wanted a husband, but this time I wanted a christian husband.
Before telling you why, let me tell you how I define a Christian Husband. =)
He is not just a guy who doesn't smoke, who doesn't drink, who never cheats or who slacks off. He is a guy who loves God sincerely, and he loves God more than his wife, his kids, his car, his work, more than anything else in the world. And when he loves God, he walks with him and everything else follow. Then he would love anyone else with the love of God. He reads His words, he follows and obeys His commands seriously, He carries his cross wholeheartedly.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:22-28
New International Version (NIV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Why?
It is important for me to spend the rest of my life with a man who loves Jesus because he would love me the way Jesus loves us. He will never be able to demonstrate Jesus' love to me if he doesn't know, or maybe he knows but doesn't acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Marrying a person is never a joke. He will be your partner for the rest of your life here in earth. You share almost everything. You are one.
And because I love God, more than anything else, I am to obey His command.
Ephesians 5:22-28
New International Version (NIV)
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
I wanna submit to my husband. Therefore I wanna submit to someone I won't be having conflicts with when it comes to my belief.
In the Bible, Jesus (and here, Paul) gave many illustrations using agriculture and animals as examples, since these were common things to everyone in that day. So what does it mean to be unequally yoked? Picture if you will, two oxen tied together at the neck by a wooden crosspiece so they can pull a plow. They are two animals of the same species who have been joined together to do a specific job. They have been carefully trained to respond to the same commands, and once they are united, they are considered to be a team. A wise farmer picks two animals of similar size, strength, and temperament because he knows they will work the best together. If one of them needed to be whipped before he would move, and the other one was terrified at even the sight of a whip, it would seem unwise to tie them together and expect them to work as a team. One "teammate" would frantically try to run away, while the other one would stubbornly refuse to budge. In fact, if two like this were joined together, it seems that disaster might be at hand - with possible damage to the equipment, hurt and confusion to the "teammates", and of course, the work would never get done.
-Melody Green, Why You Shouldn't Marry or Date an Unbeliever.
In the Bible, Jesus (and here, Paul) gave many illustrations using agriculture and animals as examples, since these were common things to everyone in that day. So what does it mean to be unequally yoked? Picture if you will, two oxen tied together at the neck by a wooden crosspiece so they can pull a plow. They are two animals of the same species who have been joined together to do a specific job. They have been carefully trained to respond to the same commands, and once they are united, they are considered to be a team. A wise farmer picks two animals of similar size, strength, and temperament because he knows they will work the best together. If one of them needed to be whipped before he would move, and the other one was terrified at even the sight of a whip, it would seem unwise to tie them together and expect them to work as a team. One "teammate" would frantically try to run away, while the other one would stubbornly refuse to budge. In fact, if two like this were joined together, it seems that disaster might be at hand - with possible damage to the equipment, hurt and confusion to the "teammates", and of course, the work would never get done.
-Melody Green, Why You Shouldn't Marry or Date an Unbeliever.
I don't wanna compromise my faith. When we get to argue with our faith, I don't wanna be in a position where I have to choose between my family and God.
I wanted to be with someone who loves God, just as I love Him or more. When God will be the center of our relationship, of our family, it surely will be for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. =) And that's what I have dreamed of having.
When He loves God, I will see in him the fruit of the spirit and that would be...
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Perfect. Isn't it?
I wanted to be with someone who loves God, just as I love Him or more. When God will be the center of our relationship, of our family, it surely will be for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. =) And that's what I have dreamed of having.
When He loves God, I will see in him the fruit of the spirit and that would be...
Galatians 5:22-23
New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Perfect. Isn't it?
