But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6: 6-9, NIV.
Merciful God, as we meet to study Your Word, we invite Your Holy Spirit to be our teacher. Please help us to take from this study lessons that will help us to be better persons. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.
Today, we are going to spend some time looking at another phrase from the wedding vows. Yesterday, I referred to them as “challenges.” I really believe they challenge us to be the best persons that we can possibly be. After all, isn’t that what we, as Christians, aspire to be? We realize that the “natural” person, cannot attain to such a lofty goal, so we appeal to the Christ within (Galatians 2: 20), to manifest Himself, and give us the victory. It is, in my opinion, the only way that a marriage can work, if we plan to be together “until death do us part.”
You will notice the emphasis on “being together.” Many husbands and wives are married, but they are not together. They have separate goals, they sleep in separate beds, and many are just waiting for the children to grow up and leave home, before they go their “separate ways.” Many remain married for appearances’ sake. That must be a very sad way to live! Instead of home being a “heaven on earth,” home for them, must be just the opposite! This situation is most likely to occur when people get married for the wrong reasons. One of the wrong reasons that we hear mentioned quite often is: “Financial gain.” Some people get married to acquire riches they never had, or, to increase their riches.
The latter occurs with some frequency among people who are “well to do.” Many wealthy families, wanting to secure their wealth, or increase it, will marry someone from another wealthy family, to keep the riches among themselves. Oftentimes, no love is involved. In the case of celebrities, many work out what is known as a “prenuptial agreement.” I found this legal definition of the term in, The Free Dictionary, by Farlex: “a written contract between two people who are about to marry, setting out the terms of possession of assets, treatment of future earnings, control of the property of each, and potential division if the marriage is later dissolved. These agreements are fairly common if either or both parties have substantial assets, children from a prior marriage, potential inheritances, high incomes, or have been “taken” by a prior spouse.” (Emphasis provided).
I emphasized the words, and potential division if the marriage is later dissolved, because I believe that that is where the problem lies. Because one, or both parties, entered marriage with material interests in mind, provision is made for the dividing of goods, just in case it does not work out. While I believe that finances play a very important part in a marriage, it should by no means be, the major consideration in the decision to get married. In God’s original plan there was no need for prenuptial agreements, because when God joined the first couple in marriage, “Me” gave way to “We,” and all of “Mine” became “Ours.” When we come together because of love, the “two become one flesh” (Genesis 2: 24). I believe that there should be no provision made for “if the marriage is later dissolved,” because, as we saw yesterday, we should do all in our power, by God’s grace, to make it to work.
Our Scripture for today reveals a situation that we know to be only too true in our society, and in the world at large, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” How many times have we seen headlines that talk about “foul play” in the death of a spouse. The investigations oftentimes reveal the underlying cause as, the desire to take control of the dead spouse’s possessions. God joined a man and a woman who were in love, in holy matrimony. He is the One who established the institution of marriage in the first place, so He knows what the foundation should be, and His words of advice are: “Husbands, love your wives” (Ephesians 5: 25a). That goes for us wives as well, Wives, love your husbands!
“[I]f we have [love,] food and clothing, we will be content with that.” When husbands and wives love each other, whether in riches or in poverty, their home will be their palace!
NOTE: On a future date we will talk in more detail, about being content with what we have, in marriage.