[Wisdom of Solomon] Protecting Your MarriagePrøve

God Has Nothing Up His Sleeve Have you ever been tricked? Maybe you were tricked by a kid playing a practical joke or you got duped in a pyramid marketing scheme or a lousy financing deal. Such experiences lead to that feeling of, "How did I let myself be fooled?" Then, you do everything you can to get out of that deal or scheme. Getting out may be expensive, but the cost of keeping it could be way worse. This is how the world works when it comes to your purity. Growing up, we hear that premarital sex, one-night stands, or a crazy spring break are the best things ever. The idea of staying pure before marriage, and being faithful after marriage, is considered almost impossible in our world. We are surrounded by advertisements that tell us all of the “good stuff” but never give us the warnings, the side effects, or the actual cost of giving in to temptation. Sin, the world, our flesh, and the devil entice us with the sweetest honey, but forget to mention it leaves us with guilt, shame, and regret. We focus so much on the green grass everywhere else that we miss the Lord’s blessings: the husband, the wife, and the life right in front of us. Why is this? It probably stems from the fact that marriage takes work, while one-night stands promise joy without effort. We prefer things that are fast and easy. Our good Father knows our tendencies. He knows we choose the easy way. He knows our eyes wander. He knows our hearts wander too. This is why Jesus talks about counting the cost. He is talking about the Christian life. Your walk with God affects every area of your life. When you are pursuing Him, you know that no matter how much work it takes, it will be worth it. You see His blessings and are thankful for them. Then, when the world promises you “life,” you automatically know that that promise is actually death. You know that great things take time. You become content with the life God has blessed you to enjoy. Know that He can get you out of your mess, wherever you are. Know that Jesus paid for your sins. He paid for those nights you most regret. Christ paid for those text messages, those calls, those DMs that you want to forget ever happened. He calls us to turn away from sin and instead run after Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Thought for today: Which lies have you believed? What sins do you want to confess to God right now? What temptations do you need to resist to keep your marriage strong?