Transcript
Well, here's a second thing that you need to think about in marriage, whether you're thinking about marriage, whether you're engaged to be married, whether you're newly married, or whether you've been married for many years. I'm going to say it this way. There's only one Messiah and you don't happen to be married to him. This means something very, very important. You cannot get from your spouse what only the Savior can give you.
You Never Get Your Capacity to Love From Your Spouse
Let me give you an example of that. Your capacity to love the way God has called you to love, you never get from the person that you were called to love. You never get the fuel that you need, the spiritual desire that you need, the spiritual energy that you need, the spiritual wisdom that you need to love the way God called for you to love from the person you were called to love. It doesn't work that way.
You can't look to your husband or look to your wife for your capacity to be what you're supposed to be and to do what you're supposed to do in your marriage because that only ever comes from your Savior. Your husband or wife doesn't have the power to give you contentment of heart. Your husband or wife doesn't have the power to give you good desires. Your husband or wife doesn't have the power to change your heart. Your husband or wife doesn't have the power to give you the strength to obey.
Your husband or your wife is not your messiah. Your husband or wife cannot save you from you. They can't rescue you from bad thoughts or bad desires or bad intentions. And when you place that kind of burden on your husband or wife, you place on them a burden that they cannot bear and a burden that will harm your marriage.
Listen, Jesus has already given you everything you need to be what you're supposed to be and to do what you're supposed to do in your marriage. You don't get that from your husband. You don't get that from your wife. You don't need to look there for your spiritual strength to do what you're supposed to do and to be what you're supposed to be in your marriage because everything you could ever need as a husband and a wife to be what you're supposed to be and to do what you're supposed to do, you find at the foot of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, that's good news. It's important for you to know who your Messiah is.
