Sacred Privilege

What if you are God’s best (not only), but best plan to bless your spouse?

Our Experience

A couple of Sundays ago I preached at my church while the pastor was out of town. My passage was from 1 Peter 2:9,10 and I focused primarily on the incredible description of the Church in verse nine:

But you are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God . . .

I only had time to consider what it meant to be part of a Royal Priesthood. I did not grow up in a church that had formal priests because it emphasized that all Christians were priests in a spiritual sense.

A priest has two devotions: the pleasure of God and the welfare of others.
A devoted priest finds great joy in God and great love for others.

Just like Jesus did.

This priestly perspective has the potential to radically change every dimension of our lives: work, marriage, parenting, service, learning, education, health, finances, leisure.

Decades ago, when computers required a lot of data entry, an executive in Silicon Valley decided to hire the monks at a local monastery to do this work.

How did it go?

“Fantastic,” he said.

“These monks were the best employees. They were never late, they were always there, they didn’t complain, and best of all, they believed that the work of their hands was holy.”

Start your work week with that perspective and see what happens.

Now imagine loving your spouse as a priest would.

No, you are not celibate, detached, superior or a necessary bridge to God.

You are first devoted to God and then to your spouse. A win for God. A win for your spouse.

But a warning.

As this perspective becomes a more natural filter to your attitude and behaviors, it will get very practical.

Libby and I had a disagreement (fight) a couple of weeks ago and she was wise enough to disengage immediately.

“You’re not going to pull me down. You’re not going to make me feel bad,” she said.

“I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m just trying to get you to do the right thing.”

“Well, its’ not working,” she replied.

“I can’t help it if you won’t do the right thing,” I said.

As she calmly left the room, the priest in me laughed and mocked me.

“Can you hear yourself?” it asked.
“Yep.”

I wasn’t going to argue with a priest.

My apology to Libby was quick and she received it. We both laughed at my foolish behavior.

(Priests who spend a lot of time with God have a great sense of humor. They can teach us how to not take ourselves too seriously because we have nothing to fear.)

God blessed your spouse just fine before you ever showed up and could do so without you. But whether you promised to love and cherish each other at an altar or in a field, God took you up on that promise.

What a Sacred Privilege!