If what we desire most doesn’t satisfy us, we will never be satisfied, even when our “desires” have been met! That’s why finding our fulfillment in God is the cornerstone of a satisfied life. We can harm our marriages by asking too much of them.

What marriage has done for me is hold up a mirror to my sin. It forces me to face myself honestly and consider my character flaws, selfishness, and anti-Christian attitudes, encouraging me to be sanctified and cleansed and to grow in godliness.

The sad truth is that comparatively few Christians think of giving respect as a command or a spiritual discipline. We are obsessed with being respected, but rarely consider our own obligation to respect others.

[Marriage] is the merciless revealer, the great white searchlight turned on the darkest places of human nature. Katherine Anne Porter

The prophet Hosea leads us into a startling reality — that God views his people as a husband views his wife: “ ‘In that day,’ declares the LORD, ‘you will call me “my husband”; you will no longer call me “my master.” . . . I will betroth you to me forever’ ” (Hosea 2:16, 19). Think about the difference between a husband and a master — and all that

“If you want to be free to serve Jesus, there’s no question — stay single. Marriage takes a lot of time. But if you want to become more like Jesus, I can’t imagine any better thing to do than to get married. Being married forces you to face some character issues you’d never have to face otherwise.”

We show our love for God in part by loving our spouses well. And we love our spouses by loving God.

God didn’t design marriage to compete with himself but to point us to himself. Yes, without a doubt there should be moments of happiness, meaning, and a general sense of fulfillment. And, of course, seeking God together, through our marriage, is certainly fulfilling in itself. But my wife can’t be God, and I was created with a spirit that craves

Romantic love has no elasticity to it. It can never be stretched; it simply shatters. Mature love, the kind demanded of a good marriage, must stretch, as the sinful human condition is such that all of us bear conflicting emotions.