God Has Forgiven You! Do the Same!

Little Foxes Can Do Big Damage to the Vine

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Eph. 4:31-32 NLT)

Forgiveness reinforces a marriage

Susan and I used to live near an older couple who quarreled loudly. They were really nice to talk to separately, but when together, they seemed mad at each other all the time. It was sad to watch them behave this way. Something obviously had happened to get them to such a sour place in their marriage. I suspect that it began many years earlier with some small disagreement or two that didn’t get resolved and just grew worse from there. The Bible says, “Little foxes spoil the vine” (Song of Solomon 2:15). The lesson is, of course, that little, seemingly insignificant things can cause grossly disproportionate damage. This is especially true in marriage; you must constantly guard yourselves against little foxes, such as small disagreements, which can grow destructive.

Someone asked Ruth Bell Graham what she did to have such a great marriage with Billy, and she replied, “Lots and lots of forgiveness!” This is a great answer! When Susan and I got married over fifty years ago, we made an agreement with each other to never go to sleep at night without settling any disagreement, to forgive each other for anything, and to love each other as Christ loved and served the church. The Bible has a lot to say about that.

“Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (Eph. 4.26 NLT)

“And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Eph. 5:21-33 NLT)

Therefore

“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Gen. 2:18 NLT)

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen. 1:24 ESV)