What Does Your Marriage Look Like 10, 20, 50 Years From Now
What does your marriage look like 10, 20, 50 years from now? As I ponder the life and death of Bishop T.F. Tenney, I am reminded just how little time we have on this earth. Bishop T.F. and Thetus Tenney impacted so many. Not only their own family, but families around the world! I wonder what we are doing today, in this moment, that impacts others? Do we reach for others as a couple? Do we understand what we do today in our marriage, with our children, and in our church and community impacts the future of our legacy.
I Want To Leave A Legacy
Oh how I want to leave a legacy to our children and generations to come of a great marriage!! To serve others, and to raise up children in the Lord! I want to give all I have to my husband, children, and the kingdom of God! I want to look back 50 years from now if the Lord tarries and say we gave it all. To have touched, invested, and built a life that others see Jesus in!
In The Moment
Often we live moment to moment, or in the moment without a thought of the future. We talk about what we want to do, but we don’t think about how what we do today is building the next moment, and so on. Absolutely, I believe you should be in the moment, but we aren’t living for today, we are living for eternity.
“YOLO”
“Yolo” is a popular saying today. You only live once, so why don’t you just do whatever you want, whatever feels good. We live in a society that says live for today and don’t consider tomorrow. How many today even in the church have this attitude. We do things today that may not be wrong, but definitely aren’t profitable. We fill our schedules with sports, entertainment, trips, consumerism, events, school activities, and we miss out on what the plan and purpose of our lives are. If you ask someone who has lived a long life, at the end of their life, they won’t tell you about how much money they made, their busy schedules.. no they will tell you they wished they had more time, to love, to spend quality time with their families, and who they wished they could have reached with the gospel.
“YOLF”
You only live forever… I take this from a sermon I heard by Cortt Chavis. We only live forever. Let that sink in. We will live forever one place or another. Heaven or Hell. And so will everyone else. Yes, this is about marriage. Because everything you do in your marriage reflects Christ and His bride. It is one of the most important relationships in your life because it shows that what God made was a man and a woman, and he told them to multiply. This reflects the church. He wants the world to know who He is, and our marriage shows what and who He is or who He isn’t. Intimate, loving, strong, multiplying, redemptive.
Marriage Stability
Is your marriage stable? With the ebbs and flow of this life, as we encounter good times, and bad, births and deaths, tragedy and joy, we need to be stable. Building our marriage on a firm foundation. We need Jesus to help us to show the world the stability of God in our marriage. Where people get divorced left and right, do what feels good, have affairs, and live life for today. We who love the Lord need to be stable and consistent. We need to pray, fast, and do everything we can to work on our marriages to keep them intact til death do us part.
What Story Are You Writing
Is it a story that lasts and all the world and church looks to? Or is it something people look at and think I know what I don’t want in my marriage? What story are you writing today? You have a fresh page each day to make things better or worse. You could be writing a story that goes full chapters without ever looking up and seeing years later you don’t even know your spouse. Your children see it, others see it, but you don’t. Or is your story one of building a life together, raising children who know what love is, marriage, and serving the Lord? Is it one that impacts the world with great ideas, programs, and most importantly souls who have become disciples?
T. F. Tenney
T.F. and Thetus Tenney have done so much for this world through Jesus. They not only have the love of their children, but also the church, and the world. They left a legacy. A flight he regularly took to travel the world, honored him as he passed. They started bible quizzing, the first North American Youth Congress, and many other great opportunities to know Jesus and His word. Before I saw this great truth I read one of his books, He reached outside the walls of our great fellowship! Jentzen Franklin, and his family were so deeply touched by Jesus in T.F. Tenney and his sweet wife, that his life and walk with God are forever changed. I wonder how many people we have touched with Jesus shining through. Have you reached outside your four walls today of your daily life?
My Encounter
A few years ago at a general conference for the UPCI, I literally ran into Bishop T.F. Tenney and his wife. Im not saying this was a great moment in life as I bumped into him. But I took this moment and realized this great man of God who has reached probably millions, was a kind, and sweet man to all he met. He said as I turned around and apologized, “Thats ok my dear, don’t worry about it.” Smiling and exuding the love and joy of Jesus!
I prayed that day, as my husband and a friend teased me that I may have gotten an anointing by touching the man of God, that there was a transfer of his anointing! Why not? If Peter walked by and people were healed by the very shadow of him, why couldn’t I receive it! By faith we receive and by the laying on of hands, even if it wasn’t intentional. But I believe Bishop Tenney was very intentional, and didn’t loose a moment with those he encountered! Who have you encountered and touched today?
My Heart
My heart is to first and foremost worship the Lord our God! Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and forever. Hear oh Israel the Lord our God is one Lord! I want every part of my life to show Him! He changes not!! He is consistent! Secondly, I want to love and build a wonderful marriage with my husband, to build a life around the altar of God with the man he blessed me with, to raise our children to fall in love with Jesus, and to have a holy reverence of Him, and to reach a lost and dying world with the truth, love and compassion.
How?
How do I do we do this? It starts by being sober, aware, present, and intentional to work daily on my marriage, to forgive, to ask for forgiveness, all of this quickly. To look for opportunities to build a life that we can share with others, to bring couples to our home and love them. Show them what Jesus looks like with His bride, to show our children marriage can be beautiful! Being intentional with our words and actions, to not neglect intimacy, putting down the phone, internet, entertainment, dating one another, showing gratitude, and writing down goals that magnify the Lord and His greatness! To stop being so busy and spend time together. A devotional together each day, praying together, everyday!!!
Why?
Because our live are but a vapor, and we don’t know what tomorrow holds, we don’t know if we will see our spouse again when they leave. So make sure to kiss them goodbye, say Im sorry before you go to bed, and hold them tight. Dream today, and work towards it today and tomorrow. Don’t let it slip away, don’t let this moment pass and 10, 20, 50 years pass and regret you didn’t write the story you always dreamed of, and make sure Jesus is always at the center of it!!
Who?
You… You have the power through Jesus to make each day count, to make each day special, to make memories, and to influence the world. I pray each day, God give me influence with my husband, children, in our church, and with the lost. Lord give me favor, and open my eyes to look for those open doors to do so. It takes me slowing down, getting up earlier to pray, “Oh God, create in me a clean heart, and a right spirit within me” to love people the way he does, and to stop and see them, to take time to reach with His hands and feet.
Tangible Results
When you put these principles into practice you will see tangible results!! You will see your life blossom and those around you will blossom as well! As we look around at Gods beauty we see all that is sown reaps a harvest. We can too!! With our marriages, and in turn we see it in every other relationship we allow ourselves to have. It takes time, patience, and running the race to obtain the prize!! What will your marriage look like 10, 20, 50 years from now?
Scriptures
Monday: I Corinthians 10:23 says, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” Pray over this scripture today and ask the Lord what things he wants you to remove. We can fill up to much of our time with things that are not bad but aren’t expedient.
Tuesday: 1 Peter 4:7-11, Read this scripture and meditate on this!! it says, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. What a fitting scripture for this thought!! YOLF!
Wednesday: Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Why should we look or act any different in different situations? Pray today God helps you to be consistent in showing His heart in your marriage to a world who changes whenever and however.
Thursday: Ephesians 5:22-33, especially 5:32 says, “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Our marriages should look like Christ and the church. Intimate, Holy, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing! With love, and washed by the word of God!
Friday: Exodus 9:16 says, “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared through all the earth.” Let this be your prayer today for your marriage!! To show the world Jesus!! For His name to be declared!!!
Saturday: 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” Run today toward Jesus, your marriage, and the blessing that comes with a marriage that exemplifies Him! I want to obtain all that He has for me!
Prayer
My prayer for all who read this today is that you pray, be present, and be intentional about what your marriage will look like 10, 20, 50 years from now! We can change little things each day to build our marriage, and those around us! So we can look back years from now and say Im glad our marriage showed Jesus, and impacted our children, their marriages, and generations to come. And if we are willing, to reach out from the world we made by loving our own family, we can see others lives and families show Jesus to their world. So together we can make a global impact, and live a happily ever after!!
Contact
Please feel free to share, post, and invite someone who might need this today! Thank you for investing in your marriage! Our website is http://happilyevermarried.org or send us an email at janene@happliyevermarried.org. Please remember to check your email/spam if you sign up for our weekly emails with the newest blog each Monday. You will need to confirm the email to receive these! Have a happily ever married!!