But what are they? They are emotions, and we are not exactly in control of them. What if one day you wake up and the warm and affectionate feeling is gone? We need something much more solid and permanent to build our
relationships on if we want them to last.
Selfishness
This is almost the key manifestation of our sinful condition. We are turned and curved towards ourselves. We care about ourselves. We naturally want everything to be about ‘me’: for me, in my interests, for my benefit. This is a very hard spell to break. We won’t be able to fully break it in this age.
But what does this mean for our marriages?
It may mean that we look at our marriage and the other person as someone who is there for me: to make me happy, to satisfy my desires, etc. That is not going to work: not in the long-term, not in any satisfactory manner.
So again, we need a wiser perspective on what our relationships are about. We need to understand how to think about them so that they will actually work well and deliver for us what we long and hope for.
Lack of wisdom
Sadly, we are born lacking wisdom and understanding. We grow up and often are doomed to spend our lives not knowing God’s good and wise design for our lives. We don’t even know who we are.
We don’t know what God’s good and wise design for our relationships is. We don’t know how to think about them, how to prepare for them, or how to live in them. Sometimes a lifetime goes by, and we remain in our ignorance. How can we hope to succeed in our relationships if we lack this understanding?
The good news is that we have already begun to address this lack of wisdom and will continue to do so throughout this course.
Selfishness
This is almost the key manifestation of our sinful condition. We are turned and curved towards ourselves. We care about ourselves. We naturally want everything to be about ‘me’: for me, in my interests, for my benefit. This is a very hard spell to break. We won’t be able to fully break it in this age.
But what does this mean for our marriages?
It may mean that we look at our marriage and the other person as someone who is there for me: to make me happy, to satisfy my desires, etc. That is not going to work: not in the long-term, not in any satisfactory manner.
So again, we need a wiser perspective on what our relationships are about. We need to understand how to think about them so that they will actually work well and deliver for us what we long and hope for.
Lack of wisdom
Sadly, we are born lacking wisdom and understanding. We grow up and often are doomed to spend our lives not knowing God’s good and wise design for our lives. We don’t even know who we are.
We don’t know what God’s good and wise design for our relationships is. We don’t know how to think about them, how to prepare for them, or how to live in them. Sometimes a lifetime goes by, and we remain in our ignorance. How can we hope to succeed in our relationships if we lack this understanding?
The good news is that we have already begun to address this lack of wisdom and will continue to do so throughout this course.
Created with
