Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 9:9
Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days.
Obviously this goes for wives and their husbands as well, so the question is, are you? Are you enjoying life with your spouse. If not, why not? All of us can list reasons to not enjoy our lives, married or otherwise. There are countless things to worry about, from the mundane aspects of our everyday existence to sweeping issues that affect the whole world. We are over-scheduled and busy, the faucet is leaking, the car is sputtering, the stock market is down, there’s a global pandemic happening, climate change is slowly killing us all… This fallen world is rife with unrest and pain. We know this though! Nothing about the state of the world is new. Jesus told us that we’d face problems. But he also stresses that we should have hope. In John 16:33 he says
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Think of your mental state when you are driving home from a long trip, and then compare that to your mental state when you are driving somewhere new and trying to find the address. Knowing where we are heading should ease our hearts and minds as we are heading there.So of course, pray for the world we live in, and do what you can to make it better. We are all responsible for doing work to usher in the kingdom. As you do so, though, make a choice to ENJOY life with your spouse. From making date nights happen regularly, to talking about hopes and dreams, to supporting each other’s interests and fulfilling each other’s desires, find joy in your shared life together. Even when things are hard, if you lean in to the fact that you are a team, and you don’t have to face trials alone but with a partner that has your back, joy can be found. Think of how bonds are strengthened by shared adversity, and know that on the other side of trouble you will be stronger as a couple.
Author Alan Cohen wrote “Don’t postpone joy until you have learned all of your lessons. Joy is your lesson.” Make it one you keep learning - until you get it right!
