Bringing Him Good…
Many people quote Socrates, concerning marriage, as once saying, “My advice to you is get married. If you find a good one, you’ll be happy. If you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.” However, what Socrates really said was, “By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll be happy. If you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher… and that is a good thing for any man.”
It seems that either one you use, you still get the idea that Socrates was not fond of his wife and therefore publicly made it known in a sarcastic statement that is still being quoted in books and comedy circles ages later. It makes me sad to read such remarks concerning marriage made by one of the most famous philosophers in history, and I can’t help but feel very sorry for his wife.
As I think on what husbands and wives may say about each other when the other is not present (or perhaps they are), it seems that our words toward one another should be of utmost importance if we take our roles in marriage, especially as Christians, to heart. Since the Bible repeatedly uses marriage as an analogy for which we put on display the grace, love, reconciliation and oneness of the Gospel, perhaps we should strive to build up the men and women God has brought us together with in our marriages. As closely as we are regarded by the outside world for just being Christians, we are even more of a target of speculation as being Christians who are married! How we treat, speak to, behave around, and love our spouses (whether present or not!) is under a magnifying glass for the surrounding world. How many times do we hear of Christian marriages being berated because of problems which may/may not lead to divorce, rather than the ‘norm’ of non-Christian ones with the same problems?
As I think of our marriage, I am so blessed to see that we really do strive to uphold one another, serve one another and encourage one another. I want to be able to display King Solomon’s words in Proverbs 31:10-12, 23 & 28:
“A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life…
…Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land…
…Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her”
I want Paul to be blessed in his life: with his family, with his work, with his friends, and with his ministry through our marriage. Most importantly, I want others who see our marriage from an outside perspective to be able to see the grace and gospel of Jesus Christ as we strive to represent it accurately in this analogous relationship called marriage.
Posted: October 3rd, 2009 under Marriage.
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