Every human relationship we have on earth, including marriage, is an opportunity to demonstrate the promise and hope found in the Lord’s Prayer of, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10).
In heaven, everyone gets along. People are kind to each other. Neighbors respect and honor one another. God’s children love others as they love themselves. They are unselfish, generous, loving, kind, caring, and thoughtful. Children of God are the presence of divine Love in their every action, thought, word and deed.
This is an ideal humans must rise to and demonstrate before they’re ready for the full-blown heavenly experience.
Jesus Christ said that “…in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30). In heaven, marriage, as we know it on earth, takes a higher form. It’s more than a human commitment that is planned out and agreed upon between husband and wife. It’s a spiritual unity with God, divine Love. Heavenly marriage is God’s angels, or God’s children, uniting in the one Mind of Love, living true to their identity in God’s compassionate, infinitely loving and wise image and likeness.
And this is one of the blessings I’ve found from marriage: that the overcoming of selfish traits that would divide my wife and me in wedlock is the same overcoming of evils that would divide me from divine Love, from my God, in the oneness of Mind.
Think about it…
How can we know Love if we are focused on ourselves all the time?
How can we know Love if we are filled with grudges, resentment and complaint?
How can we know Love if we hate?
How can we know Love if we are selfish?
How can we know Love if we have a hard time putting another’s interest above our own?
How can we know Love if we don’t care?
How can we know Love if we don’t know how to be generous, kind, giving and compassionate?
To know true love is to know Love. To know Love is to know God. One enters the blessings of heaven through the door of divine Love, and there is no other entrance or backdoor entry.
The ultimate “marriage” is our unity with God. And in human terms, it translates into working out our unity with God, with divine Love in everyday expressions of affection and care. We can’t just talk about it. We have to do it.
Wedlock is a great opportunity for demonstrating our oneness with God, the ultimate Love. To be done right, it requires us to part with carnal, base, mortal attitudes and habits that divide rather than unite.
For marriage to be done right, we have to learn how to love as God loves. And when we’re willing to do that, the blessings of marriage flow mightily.
Still on a roll…
This is a great addition to your series on marriage. It echoes the message contained in a book you would deeply appreciate. It’s entitled: The Love You Deserve and is written by Scott and Shannon Peck. Shannon was a member of CS Board of Lectureship before going viral on Amazon……she needed a larger audience for her message. This book and her other on how Love Heals is excellent.
You speak beautifully Evan, on the Love ‘we’ deserve…..
Loving best to Kathy too…..
Evan, your clarity is just getting deeper and amazingly put ! How can you know love by philosophy and psychology, you do need to “do it actively” and what a way to express creativity. It can’t be forced, it’s either there or it isn’t. It does take a looking away from just ones own interests and needs and to practice unselfish affection which seems like would naturally happen.
The significance of Mt6:33 ” Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven/God and his righteousness; and these things shall be added unto you”, has never seemed more imperative than in the preparation for or just contemplation of marriage.
To “seek the kingdom of heaven”, goes hand in hand with, 2Cor4,5 “Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. Taking every thought captive, is quite a slowing of our mental process. Almost a complete suspension from it. Its amazing how busy our minds are darting about from topic to topic, thought to thought, trusting in our own reasoning power. When it’s truly important , taking each thought captive is the ultimate meaning of being “thoughtful”.
The books mentioned abouve sound familiar. I think I have them still I will have to look for them. Learning so much Evan and really getting its so much more than romance. It’s. Building a “rock” to stand upon, and to climb together .
So glad you’re writing this series. I’m always ready to learn more about love!
Most people look at marriage today as “I can’t wait to have sex.” and when marriage collapses, and there is no dought that based on the above attitude it DOES. With all the emphases on the TV tube, especially Lifetime & partner Lifetime Movie Channel, of sex in bed, in dark hallways, and in the corporate office with the doors closed, what do you expect? Teen ages see all this and with their sexual urges on fire go into marriage with this goody, goody ideas they get from TV. Thank God for Evan’s wonderful explanation. It should be taught in schools instead of teaches explaining the use of Condums. So let all clap for joy on Evan’s use of “Spirit View.” to educate.
One of the sweetest and most demonstrative examples of affection that I just love to see and every time I see it, it gets me, that being, a gentleman putting his arm around his lady. I see it at hymn singing time in church. At social gatherings, especially when couples are looking out to a beautiful view. It just says, this person is with me and I’m so grateful, I’m so glad we are seeing this together, I’m here (meaning really emotionally present). The best thing about this true expression of affection is it is never promted or asked for it is a natural jestur from the heart. It is always a special thing to witness .
Thank you, dear Evan—having “lost” a dear companion of 64 yrs, 16 months ago, I am learning to live with Isaiah 54:5, first sentence. “Thy Maker is thine husband.” As I think back over the happy, happy earth years, I realize that God has always been my husband, represented or imaged forth in a loving, wonderful, creative man. As I continue to daily try to supplant missing the physical person, I sense I am growing closer to God. How comforting to know that the same God who is taking care of me is also taking care of my earthly “buddy.