The main meaning of marriage is to display the covenant-keeping love between Christ and his church. In other words, marriage was designed by God most deeply, most importantly, to be a parable or a drama of the way Christ loves his church and the way the church loves and follows Christ. This is the most important thing for all husbands and wives to know about the meaning of their marriage.
"Marriage Is Meant for Making Children...Disciples of Jesus, Part 1." (Sermon delivered on June 10, 2007).
I came across this during our youth group's Sunday night gatherings. We are using a resource from "Children Desiring God."
Teaching our children to love, value, and respect the marriage covenant IS the way we can teach them and lead them in the greatest love of all and in leading others towards that. Are you valuing that relationship? Are you doing everything to protect it and honor it, to make it of primary importance to your family? Are you preserving it for your children's sake and the sake of the unchurched? I've mentioned it here before, that Titus 2 isn't there just so we can have happy homes for our own sakes, but so that God's Word isn't dishonored. Do we really believe that?
One of my awesome girls in my 10th-12th grade small group that I am humbled to lead brought up something quite profound. We were discussing Satan's lies and how he makes the "traditional" family look unnecessary or lacking. I asked them why they thought Satan fights so hard to tear down the traditional family and makes divorce look acceptable and desirable. One dear girl said (and I paraphrase poorly), that Satan hates the picture of Christ loving the Church for eternity despite their shortcomings. He seeks to destroy that testimony to the world so that the world won't believe that Christ could really love them that much.
Wow! This is one girl who IS being led properly in her home and is learning to have that Christian worldview. And she is right. Satan does want to fight tooth and nail to blind us and the world to God's love and perfect plan.
Let me leave you with a slightly more inspirational song that you may hear today, in light of the greatest love of all. The message isn't perfect, but if you can "redeem" the lyrics in light of Christ's love for the Church and our love for Him, maybe you'll think a little differently next time you hear "I Was Made to Love Her". Take it, Stevie:


I have always wondered what or who he was. Why was he in the story? And why does he look like the conductor and Santa...it's like they're all the same person, even though they aren't. If you notice, he's always asking the little boy (who isn't sure if he believes in Santa) what he thinks of Santa Claus....does he believe in him. He's always popping up in the story when things get tense and he either helps or questions the little boy's thinking. I think this character represents The Holy Spirit. I figured this out when the little boy picks up the bell at the North Pole and looks at it. If you'll notice in the movie, you'll hear the hobo's voice say "NOW!" really quietly (I had never noticed it before) and THEN the little boy says, "okay, I believe....I believe!". It's like the hobo (HS) was convicting him and making him realize that he does believe.
He is the one who brings the train full of people to Santa (God). You can't get to the North Pole without him. When Billy is hesitant to get off of the train once it reaches the North Pole, the conductor tells the little girl and little boy that you can't make someone come...they have to be willing. Hmmmmm. AND on the Polar Express song that the conductor sings, he says "you can ride for free, if you just say yes!". We all know that salvation is free for anyone who is willing to accept. He's also aware of the Hobo and refers to him while looking at the little boy with a knowing look in his eye.
Has anyone else thought of these metaphors before? Am I crazy that I never have? There are so many others....Billy is a poor little boy and some of the others on the train are privileged (salvation is for all people), the elves could represent angels, the North Pole represents Heaven. Your mind could go crazy thinking of all the metaphors. Anyway, I knew I always liked the movie and now I really do. My sister said that she read somewhere once that Tom Hanks (the man behind the movie) is a Christian. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I hope that he is and that he put these metaphors into the movie purposely. Anyway, just some thoughts by me. Can anyone else think of any other metaphors?