Wives and the Gospel
To dwell on ephemeral moments is to miss the infinite majesty of that which is eternal. We cannot cling to what is fleeting. It will evaporate like water dripping on scorching asphalt. We cannot hope in what is uncertain. It will lead to dead ends and despair. We cannot find meaning in what is mortal. It will leave us stranded, seeking and worthless.Despite myself, I am treasured - counted worthy of a deep, everlasting, sacrificial, incomprehensible love. I was created for a purpose outside of making my name great. The breath that I have been blessed with at this very moment is not meant to fuel my own selfish pursuits, but to breathe life into the Gospel at work in this broken world. Likewise, my marriage was not meant to make me happy, but to point to that which is eternal – the rock that we can cling to – the hope that is always certain – and the truth that brings meaning to our lives. 
I am married to an incredible man. He is trustworthy and patient – strong and gentle – passionate and courageous. In his arms I feel safe and loved. He points me to Christ daily through humble service and leadership. Yet, he is a man. He has disappointed me and hurt me. And I have done the same. We are innately selfish beings. We too often consider ourselves before our spouse, and it can be so much easier to protect our pride than to care for one another. We try to find meaning in our marriage and it lets us down.As a woman, I am inclined to rebel against lovingly serving my husband and graciously allowing him to take the lead. My pride overcomes me, and I begin to believe the lie that my joy is found in happiness. Why would the Lord call me to set my happiness aside? Doesn’t He love me? Doesn’t He want me to be happy? It is in our very nature where we are reminded that the things and people in this world will never be fulfilling. And nothing exposes our nature more than marriage. Yet, even through the brokenness, God is at work – painting a beautiful picture….I find joy in marriage because this marriage is not about me. This marriage is not about serving my husband because he is my everything. It is about serving my husband through grace, unconditional love and selflessness because Jesus is my everything. I do not serve my husband, because he demands it – I serve him because he, like our sweet and awesome Savior, is sacrificing everything that we might get more of Jesus.It is through our marriage that the Lord is painting – stroke-by-stroke – a beautiful portrait of the ultimate marriage between Christ and His Church. So, it is my prayer that even when the individual strokes do not make sense, that I would turn my eyes to the eternal, cling to my sweet Jesus and be reminded that I am loved and treasured not because of anything I have done, but because He died for me even in my brokenness. And despite the circumstances, I will serve my husband without expecting anything in return and I will love unconditionally knowing that someday I will celebrate with my Savior at the ultimate wedding feast.Kate Wells is a covenant partner at The Paradox and a member of the Tanglewood City Group