Pick a divisive issue currently in the news.
Write a two-part post in which you take on two personas and approach the topic
from both sides. Bonus points for a creative format (roundtable discussion,
debate transcript, etc.).
Well, when I
think of a house divided (besides for in terms of sports team rivals in the
same household-i.e. Alabama and Auburn, etc…), it reminds me of the verse from
the Bible which says, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot
stand.” Mark 3:25. It also reminds me of this verse, “Do not be yoked together
with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or
what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14.
Now, there
are plenty of ways the people and churches of this world have decided to
interpret the Bible and these verses in particular, but here’s my experience. When
I was married the first time, I thought my husband would help me to become
stronger in my faith because he was brought up in a very similar way. We were
both from Alabama and grew up in small town Protestant churches. We had the
same botton line beliefs and both grew up for a large part within our church
youth groups, etc…We spent as much time in our churches as we did as home or at
school. Well, the exact opposite happened, I was left to my own devices and to
depend solely on God for my spiritual growth, not my husband. I was weak, in more ways than one, and I
thought marriage to him would make me strong.
I was wrong. Now, this is not to
say that it was not known by God what would happen. He knew, and He planned it
for my good, to teach me through it, and boy did He. I learned that I should never depend on
anyone or anything else BUT God to lead me in my faith. My first marriage did not turn out the way I
expected it to NOR the way I hoped and prayed it would, but I can credit those
years with being the ones during which I grew the most in my faith and became dependent
on God instead of others. I now know
that it’s not about what others can do for me, but it’s about what God WILL DO
when I learn to give everything up to Him to control.
The second
time around I was wiser about whom I chose to marry. The first thing in my mind
was not if he was raised in a similar spiritual vein. It was to find a friend,
someone I had something in common with, someone who made me laugh, and after I
while I realized, someone who would respect me and my faith and love me as I
am, no more and no less. And that’s why
it works. I don’t think we can ever fully know the mind of God, and I think of His
Word in the Bible as a guide for life, knowing there is so much more to God
than what is written there. He knows how
and what we need, and often the way He takes up there to receive it is very
different from what we expected, but that’s where we need to just roll with it
and enjoy the ride!
P.S. Obviously, I did not do a two-part post
as the prompt suggested because that wasn’t quite my style, so I branched out
on my own based on the house divided topic.
Hope you don’t mind…
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