“Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each
man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty
to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone
but also to her husband. In the same
way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual
consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will
not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
People in New Testament times were not so
different from people today and the issues they faced were not so different,
either. Immorality was rampant then,
just as it is today. The temptation to
sexual sin was very strong. As a
suggestion for overcoming the temptation to sexual sin, Paul recommends
marriage. And what he says about
marriage indicates that the issues married couples faced then were also the
same as the issues married couples face today.
The primary difficulty in today’s marriages
is selfishness. Husbands and wives hurt
their marriage relationships by focusing exclusively on their own needs, rather
than being equally concerned with the needs of their spouse. As Paul says, that is true in the sexual
relationship of marriage, and it is also true in every other aspect of
marriage.
The key to a healthy marriage is to recognize
that you’ve entered into a relationship in which you have taken responsibility
for the needs and desires of your spouse.
Her needs are now to be your needs.
Her desires are now to be your desires.
And the same is true from the wife’s perspective.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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