Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Marriage: Enriched through forgiveness in Love.        


Dr. Elsy Mathew
Los Angeles Mar Thoma Church.
7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1. Marriage is a Divine plan with a purpose

In Genesis 2.18, The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper for him.” So we can see that it is the divine plan to bring man and woman together in marriage. Verse 20 says, “They will become one Flesh!". Thus, marriage is a covenantal relationship with a man and a woman with God as the third and central part of the relationship. God continues to bless marriages and expects marriages to be fruitful, fruit that lasts.

2.  Enrichment of Marriage.

Ephesians 5:21: (a)-Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.22. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
(b) Love is a key factor in marriage.  Verse 25- Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by washing with water through the word, and to present her as a radiant church, without blemish, but holy and blameless.

3. Gift of forgiveness.

Since it is Gods command, “Love each other as I have loved you- John 15:12;” our walk with God and our intimacy with God enriches marriages, and fashions us to be a fragrance of God’s love to others. It is the love of God that binds us together. The love of God encourages us to forgive and to trust. The gift of forgiveness stems out of the grace of God. It is the forgiveness that sustains and enriches relationship. God in Jesus has shown this forgiveness and expects us to practice this forgiveness. This often becomes a hurdle in the husband-wife relationship. We fail to forgive the other person. Forgiving and accepting the other without blaming deepens the bond of love. Let us remain in His love and show the gift of forgiveness.


PRAYER


Dear Father, we are very thankful for the gift of marriage which you have blessed us with. Help us to experience and express your love and forgiveness in our family relationships so that we become a source of blessings to others.  Amen!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
 
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi.

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