Easter And Your Marriage

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Ephesians 4:32, HCSB

EVERY YEAR AROUND THIS TIME, many in the Western world gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s a practice that draws even the most minimally spiritual people. But what most seasoned church attenders don’t realize is the power of the Easter story for their own personal lives, particularly the area of life that sometimes produces the most tension and stress: marriage.

On the surface, your marriage and what happened on a lonely hill two thousand years ago may not seem to be that closely related. But they are. The gospel is relevant to all of life, especially in areas where we struggle—areas where our selfishness and sin can wreak havoc if we’re not relying on God’s grace.

Easter intersects with marriage in one simple way: It introduces the idea that both spouses are sinners. Both routinely violate God’s standard of perfection. Both need supernatural, extraordinary forgiveness. This simple truth profoundly changes marriage because it profoundly changes the way you relate to your wife. The gospel empowers you to forgive her offenses because you’ve been forgiven of far worse offenses by Christ. And it allows you to seek forgiveness from her because you don’t have to pretend that you’re perfect. Easter is about new life, and many marriages are in need of new life that only the grace of the gospel can provide.

BOTTOM LINE

Easter can be the beginning of a radical grace invasion into your marriage. God wants to bring new life and hope to your marriage this Easter.

Moment of Strength: Romans 12:12