Searching for hope

 Giving up on a godly desire (when God hasn't obviously taken that desire from me) is a form of escapism. Rather than sitting in the pain of unfulfilled longings — continuing to hope that God will come through for me — I take the less painful route of "choosing" the alternative. It's a way of taking back control — a defense mechanism of sorts. And though that illusion of control can be comforting, it shortcuts the joys of giving God complete control of my life.

Somewhere along the way I realize that I, too, am a sinner, married to a sinner, and we are together living in a broken world.

The most remarkable thing about marriage today is not that it can be troubled but that we still have this privilege at all. When God justly expelled us from the garden of Eden, he did not take this gift back. He let us keep his priceless gift, though we sometimes misuse it. But what every married couple needs to know is that their marriage is a remnant of Eden. This is why every marriage is worth working at, worth fighting for. A marriage filled with hope in God is nothing less than an afterglow of the garden of Eden, radiant with hope until perfection is finally restored. - Ray Ortlund

What does give me reason to continue when the little problems have gotten under my skin or the big problems have left me devastated?

Problems don’t necessarily mean that the marriage must end. Conflict means that new growth is trying to occur. Nearly every relationship goes from romantic bliss to a power struggle. During this temporary stage, our human tendency is to be defensive and protective. From that posture, we begin to build a case for why everything is our partner’s fault. This sets our partner up for a negative reaction, usually either withdrawing or attacking. That can snowball and ultimately result in one or both people feeling hopeless that they can reclaim the love that once prevailed.

Marriage is rooted in worship. We love God, we seek God, we find God, we find peace, we find life, we find love for others, we find hope in this world, we send it out and nothing can knock us down.

Every human being lives for something. In all these different situations let prayer, the source of light and strength and the nourishment of Christian hope, never be neglected.