Look again at this imagery of marriage in regards to our relation to Christ. When I wrote the original post on the topic, I said that marriage is a very vivid example of what we should and can experience in relationship with God, but that it is also a very poor shadow of how great this relationship can be. I went on to discuss the ways in which we should be able to experience emotions and a mind set surprisingly similar to marriage, but I never really talked about the great distance above and beyond which is available with Christ.

Envision the perfect marriage. This brings to mind a different definition to many people, some wouldn't even agree that there could be such a thing with all of the brokenness surrounding us. But I find that the more I pour myself into Christ, the more I gain vision for right relationships, even if I don't see them in reality before me.

My point is not really to define the perfect interaction of a couple, but to realize something else. We still have a broken relationship, a marriage to Christ with a fault running across its foundation. We still live as a broken, distrusting wife in our flesh. This is the reason that people like Paul look forward with such anticipation toward a world beyond this. Then the marriage will be perfected. But be humbled and strengthen, renewed in exaltation of your groom in realizing this.

The groom is always faithful, even in the many circumstances when His bride is not aware or paying attention. He is full of integrity in all His interactions. When He is slandered, He does not lash out at offenders or speak to others of His great misfortune. But His bride is often quick to react in His defense in a way in which He Himself would not react or find becoming. And while this bride extols Him in this way and praises Him to others, she often treats Him poorly, or disregards the things she would claim about Him when she is more contented. All of her attitudes are dependant on her mood or her emotions. Others may only hear or see nice things, but her husband is constantly faced with a very violently obvious division of contradicting emotions. While she reaps all the benefits of a selfless lover, He is left confused and emotionally weary by her actions toward Him.

This sounds like a rough marriage situation. It doesn't sound nearly as bad as many marriages today, but is both sad and beautiful. It is sad to see something broken, only kept beautiful and intact by the actions of one member.

But realize that this is all true of your relationship with Christ. Your the bride. Your so lucky to have His undying affections! We treat Him so poorly, it almost seems a negative when we do occasionally appreciate Him, because it shows just how much our circumstances decide our opinions of our Great Lover, and how much we ultimately worship and love ourselves instead.

But there is so much beauty in God's constant faithfulness in love to us. He is the Husband who never leave in any circumstance, and never even falters in demeanor, focus, or passion. God be praised that, while we still find ways to destroy our relationship with Him, He is constantly glorifying Himself through His faithfulness to us! We are the luckiest people to have such faithfulness exacted out into our lives daily! Let this affect us greatly.