The movies are simply about reaching mutual happiness; and self-awareness is the premise to the goal-line, the fantasy is that sacrificial bartering along the way will provide us with perfect peace. That is a lie. Christianity, on the other hand,(which is the only true reality properly aligned to God) is a means to an end with the same goal of staying in love with our mates; yet, it is vastly different; wholly different, in its spontaneous operational means to getting there thru righteousness. For, if it is to be reality at any measure, it must travel thru the life of the Holy Spirit in us to get there in our lives experientially. This is true of all truth, (all reality).
Read (Proverbs 4:23). In this verse, Solomon, famous for his wisdom, says to guard your heart above all else. Do we agree with Solomon? Even if we disagree, can we think of some reasons why Solomon would place such value on guarding our heart?
(Ephesians 5:21-33) sets the premise to all reality (all truth) in Christ relationally, which for most of us seems the fantasy, and to the world it seems foolish. But, for those of us who are in love with Christ we have received both the Holy Spirit's revelation and His discipline., it is reality.
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." What a vastly different start than from the movies foundation. Love stays strong in God's economy when we love to do His will in submitting and the Holy Spirit has us touch that reality. Our personal and historical cultural prejudice and expectations and human calculations fall to the waste side, and the Spirit-filled life renders itself powerfully as our New Creation, even to be able to take on and love unequally yoked individuals in the context of a marriage. This isn't loving one another as best you can, but rather, "Love one another... AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU MUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER." (John 13:34-35). Which by ourselves is impossible, but in Christ is not only possible but real.
So, reality in Christ goes beyond ourselves in the Holy Spirit's life in us as He employees our will as well, but, also important to note: it sets itself inline with Spiritual truth, which is reality. We are not molding God to fit us, He is molding us to fit Himself which is reality. The message isn't that we need to lower our expectations in Christ, but rather, we need to lay aside all things set apart from Christ in our marriages. To submit to one another is not giving away my life, it is investing in my life who is Christ. One life yielded to God (at all costs; based on the fact we have been crucified with Christ) is worth thousands only touched by God. To make real our marriages we must let go of our prejudices and expectations and let Christ buffer the difference, always staying open to being honest and communicating in love to each other and God, and when the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual revelation we must follow it with His discipline in letting Him have it to be done thru us mindfully and bodily.
We tend to say, "If God is in my marriage He will give me what I need." That God is an almighty piece of ourselves, but reality is, truth is ... God can never be on the side of any individual; to make our marriages real is to ask - "Am I on God's side?" Have I let the Holy Spirit transform my life into being able to love my spouse above myself and love submitting? If the Holy Spirit has not brought us to it, it is not reality at all, even when Satan would have you fake it for a spell. But, when we yield to His ways, we will find that we are in love indeed with those whom He has graced us with.
I was married for 29 years, and she went on to the World System ways. But these truth's are not any less real for me. It is true, hardships can happen by way of others choosing contrary to God's will, but I have never fallen in Christ. His grace has met me there at those cross roads. God is more powerful than any thing that would oppose Him, if we fight the good fight in the name of Love thru righteousness, or when need be, remain in Him as our refuge.
