A Song, A Book, and A Talk Show

A couple of weeks ago I was running on the elliptical trainer at the gym, listening to Passion's White Flag album. The tv in front of me was tuned to some morning talk show. The host and her guest were discussing how to have a successful marriage (I was reading the closed-captioning). They kept talking about how you needed to keep growing separately and as a couple, to learn new things together, all these things you had to do to keep your marriage interesting and keep your partner from becoming bored with you. You were supposed to keep reinventing yourself or something. It sounded exhausting and stressful to me. Towards the end of the segment this song by Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin began playing on my iphone:

Lay Me Down

With this heart open wide
From the depths, from the heights
I will bring a sacrifice
With these hands lifted high
Hear my song, Hear my cry
I will bring a sacrifice
I will bring a sacrifice

I lay me down I'm not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There's no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down

Letting go of my pride
Giving up all my rights
Take this life and let it shine
Take this life and let it shine

I lay me down I'm not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There's no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down

It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
Always

I lay me down I'm not on my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There's no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down

While this song is about our relationship with the Lord, and how it is not about us but about Him, it related strongly to marriage for me in that moment. Because this is what Christian marriage is about, friends. You lay down yourself, your pride, your selfishness, out of an all-powerful, God-given, holy love you have for your spouse. When you said those marriage vows and entered that Covenant, this is what you meant. And that is a beautiful marriage. Committed together in the unbreakable love of God, no matter what comes. No doubts about keeping yourself new and interesting for your spouse so they don't leave you. Instead, we love with the everlasting love that comes from the Father.

I've also just finished reading the Keller's The Meaning of Marriage. I really enjoyed this book. Here are a few excerpts that really jumped off the page at me:











Happy Monday. Thank the Lord for your marriage today!