"Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy."
I'm not going to keep going verse by verse through the books of the Law (although I'd encourage everyone to do so at some point). The laws God gave the Israelites served many purposes - health, hygiene, justice, worship - but ultimately they can be summed up with this verse. Holiness.
To be holy means to be set apart. God doesn't want His people to look and act like the rest of the world. He wants us to be set apart for His purposes. We are to be in the world, not of it.
What does holiness look like within the context of marriage? Well, television can show us what it should not be. Sitcoms show husbands as helpless buffoons, with smart-mouthed wives actually running the show. Dramas show infidelity as a common occurance. And "reality" TV thrives on conflict. Is this what we want our marriages to be? It's certainly not what God wants.
Holiness in the home can include, among other things
- prayer and Bible study, individually, as a couple, and as a family
- forgiveness (which means we don't bring up, for the next twenty years, "Remember the time you...")
- not speaking negatively about your husband or marriage to other people
- genuine thankfulness and appreciation
- a servant's attitude (marriage isn't 50/50 - it's doing more than your share because you love your spouse)
- respect, both inside and outside the home
- the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control
This is what I want my home to look like. I don't want the world's version of marriage. I want a home that reflects God and His Word.
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