Verses that keep me going - Ephesians 5:25-28

You can't read the New Testament without

noticing how important
marriage and family are. 

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 
1 Timothy 5:8

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 1 Peter 3:7

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6–7

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

Even these few verses make clear the heavy responsibility we have to take care of our family. The verses that weighed most heavily on me were these:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:25–28

Who am I to think I could match that high standard of love. Christ's love is unmatchable! Even though I can never love as well as God, I can improve - through constant prayer for the Holy Spirit to fill me with agape love and to "consider others better than myself." (Philippians 2:3)

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

If you've read my book you may remember the unusual way God brought Janet and me together (in the chapter called "When a good knock on the head is necessary"). We've been married 49 years and our growing love for each other has helped us through many difficulties. 

I encourage you to make your family a priority. Even if there's serious division or disfunction God can help true love to be restored. And if you have no close family at this time, God can help there, too. 

God sets the lonely in families. Psalm 68:6

 God usual does this through Christian fellowship.