Love and War

I've just finished chapter two of Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge.

Two things really stand out to me. The first is on page 37, "Now consider this--marriage is the sanctuary of the heart. You have been entrusted with the heart of another human being. Whatever else your life's great mission will entail, loving and defending this heart next to you is part of your great quest." In the words of Neo...whoa! Marriage is indeed an epic journey. I can't imagine even trying to do this without God in the center.

The second is on page 38, "Being married costs you everything. ...We all know that loving is hard. Marriage is hard. It is hard because it is opposed." Aaaaaaaah yes...anything that is of God is opposed by the devil and his. One of my teachers, Dr. Bob Laurent, expresses the we don't really fall in love. Rather, we climb up into love. I've come to the basic conclusion that love is the decision to put someone else ahead of myself. It is to say, you matter more to me than I matter to myself. The Greek word for this agape. To say I love God is then to say I agape Him...I'm selflessly devoted to Him. I indeed agape my wife.