By Lauren Eberspacher 
Who is it that you run to when you feel doubt creeping in? What do you do when you’re scared or overwhelmed? What is your first action when something steals your joy?
I have to be completely honest – I’ve been running the wrong way for so long. Maybe not the wrong way entirely, just not the right way first.
The beautiful thing about marriage is that God created it to be a place of vulnerability. And he created it to be a place of teamwork, comfort and encouragement when things get hard. But God did NOT create marriage to be a replacement of our first marriage to Him. It’s just not in the plan; His perfect plan.
For so many years, I have gone through the motions in placing my priorities in this life. It’s always gone this way:
God
Husband
:
:
:
:
Kids
Family and Friends
Not that this is a bad order, but the space between my order has been all off. I’ve placed my husband too close to God. And there MUST be more space in between the two. Much, much more space.
The way that God designed our priorities to be placed and spread out is made so clear in His Word. He tells us that we can’t serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and that we should have no other Gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). And who is it that provides us with everything that we need before we even need them (Matthew 6:31-33)? It’s not my husband.
Although you will never see me bowing down to my man, making golden idols in his image or praying to him, I do a lot of other things that might make you think that he has become my idol. You see for years now, when something shakes me, I normally do what most of you do, too. I say a quick prayer to God asking for comfort or wisdom, and then I run; run right to my husband. I have looked to him for answers, for his big strong arms of stability and his voice of reason… because I’m a woman and a lot of the time I’m completely unreasonable. He sets my crooked path straight. But my path could be straighter. It could be more confident. And it could definitely be more holy. And it’s because I run to him more quickly than I run to Him.
I believe that God created my husband just for me. I believe that God knew my weaknesses and strengths and designed my husband to compliment me so that we can further His Kingdom better together than apart. I also believe that God created me to be a fierce and loyal lover and friend. And you had better believe that Satan knows that and has tried to take advantage of it for so long. But no more Satan. You’re not welcome here.
So here is my new priority list. The space that needs to be there is bigger than it was before. But if I know Satan like I think I do, he’s going to try and shorten that gap because he knows it will bring God less glory and me less joy. But if I’m going to continue to “set my mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth…” If I’m going to remember that, “I have died, and my life is hidden with Christ in God,” and that, “When Christ who is your life appears (FIRST), then you also will appear with Him in glory,” then I have to be aware of the gap that needs to appear between Him and him (emphasis mine).
So here’s my new gap. Where is yours?
God
:
:
:
:
:
Husband
Kids
Family and Friends
Know where your gap is, wife friends. And don’t let Satan try to shorten it up. Your marriage and His glory depends on it.
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