“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 18:22
My wife and I celebrated 9 years of marriage this past Thursday. And today, we’re blessed to be able to have a night getaway at an AirBNB in a nearby town while family takes care of our two boys.
And as I reflect on our relationship together, I am so thankful that Alesha is in my life. We have been through so many life stages and ups and downs together, and I can’t imagine where my life would be right now had she not been part of all of it.
I’ve been asked by many people how we make our marriage work.
Our marriage is not perfect by any means, but I can truly say that, by the grace of God, I think we have one of the best marriages I know of.
When I’ve been asked by others, there have been many different things I point to and have suggested to help a rocky relationship or to help avoid future hardship.
But there is one thing that stands out above the rest:
I am so thankful that my wife and I have chosen to put Jesus first in our lives and marriage.
I’m not saying we’re perfect in any means, but here’s how it has played out in our marriage:
When we decide life priorities… we have the same baseline of putting Jesus and His Kingdom first
When we have difficult life decisions to make… we pray to Jesus and ask for guidance and wisdom
When we argue, have misunderstandings or get upset at each other… we turn to Jesus to give us the grace to repent and forgive and work through things together
When one of us is going through a hard time… we are able to love and support each other with the grace Jesus provides
When we go through difficult external situations that press down on us… we both separately and together trust in Jesus to get us through
Through the ups and downs of life,
Through the internal struggles between us,
And the external issues around us,
We are able to turn to Jesus together,
And He holds us both close to Him,
Individually and together.
As I mentioned above, there are many relationship “tips and tricks” that we’ve picked up from others over the years, but the baseline of our marriage is founded on Jesus – and that has made all the difference.
Whether you’re married, engaged, dating or single;
Jesus is the One Who promises to be with you through every storm of life,
To guide you in the bright of day and the darkness of night,
And I cannot emphasize enough how having Him in your life and in your relationships will make all the difference.
Our lives and our marriage is not perfect,
But our God is,
And He is our foundation for both.
And so, out of all the things I am thankful for about my wife,
I am most thankful that she has given her life to Jesus,
And has determined to love Him with all her life.
And so in a world where divorce and unhappy marriages are the norm,
I am so thankful for God’s grace giving us 9 amazing years of marriage,
And I look forward to every day I get to spend with my wife until death do us part.
And even then, death won’t truly end our lives together, as we will both be in heaven enjoying and worshiping Jesus together and with all who trust in His name.
For all eternity, just like we’ve been practicing here on earth.