Death to Self

I met some new friends at church this past week. We had a great time of prayer and worship on Friday night. There was this couple that just had a testimony that touched my heart. They are about 10 years apart, just got married this past October for the first time, and have been friends for about 26 years. They both said they never ever saw themselves wanting to be married to each other, but then God did something, changed something, and they realized after all that time, they were finally ready. It would not have worked any sooner because they were not ready. Lends a greater meaning to "Gods Timing".

As we were in prayer and worship, the wife started praying over the Marriages in the church, in the Body of Christ, in Nashville,etc. It was as if she had looked into my heart and was praying what she saw there. It blessed me and touched me so much to hear someone else have that heart as well. There she was praying about the attacks on marriage and family from the enemy, taking a stand against him in warfare to protect that holy wonderful union that God Himself created. "What God has joined together, let not man put asunder." What a refreshing, amazing, full of hope reminder.

Afterwards she and I and her husband were talking, only married since this past October, but a couple after my heart. She said something to me that really opened my eyes and blew me away. She said that she never realized before what marriage really meant, but that she was discovering that it was the ulitmate "death to self". Meaning, when the bible talks about us crucifying that old man and putting on the new man and Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; She was talking about walking in a new understanding of preferring one another. Honoring the other person first above your own self. Putting them before yourself, death to self. I had never, ever heard anyone share it that way before and it was extremely profound and made a huge impact on me. I know this, I will treasure and protect and work at and cherish my marriage more than most because I have had to wait so long for it. Just like this couple, it will be blessed of God.