John 3:16––I never thought of it as a marriage or relationship scripture until last night. Tina and I were doing week 2 of the Fireproof Your Marriage study when it cited John 3:16 followed by this question: “Do you know God’s love, and are you reflecting that love to your spouse?”
The way that I heard this question in my spirit was profound:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. . .” The Lord gave up His most precious belonging (His son Jesus) for the world (you). He has set the example of love and how you should love your spouse. So what are you going to give up for your spouse today?
What is it that seems to be your most precious asset? What is currently taking priority over your relationship with your spouse? What vice is coming between you and your spouse that could wreck your marriage? It can be something as harmless as spending too much time with the kids to something completely destructive to the marriage relationship like having an affair. What is it in your marriage/relationship? Is it your job. . . Coaching the kids’ team. . . Being the kids’ proverbial soccer mom. . . ESPN. . . Oprah / The View / Soaps. . . TV in general. . . Alcohol / Drugs. . . Pornography. . . Shopping/Overspending. . . An affair. . . Golfing with your buddies. . . Gossiping with your girlfriends. . . THE LIST GOES ON!
Here’s the challenge. For the next 30 days, put it to the test. Recite and, more importantly, act on the following:
For I so love my wife/husband that I gave [thing taking precedence over your relationship right now] up, that if I believe it I shall have a marriage that will not perish but have eternal life.
Do this and I have faith that the same power of God that redeemed the world through His sacrifice will resurrect a lost and dying marriage for you!
Writer's Block (err, Blog) 
I have never viewed this scripture in this way – wow, thanks for the insight.
RP
Hmmm. I am not married but I went to the movie with a new love and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. And I would love to see him give up something as a new beginning in our new relationship that I do not agree with. I might just ask him to do so. But then again I might just leave things alone. I am going on a Extremely Slow pace with the Romance so let God direct my footsteps and path… because at first it was Fast….. Slow… Extremely Slow and I don’t want it to get to Drasticaly Slow….. if you know what I mean… LOL… Thanks Blogger for your…. Inspirational Writings…. I still reading and you are capturing my interests.
AKA Queen
Yes, an interesting application of this scripture and, of course, very apt. Elsewhere, the Word of God teaches the man, the stronger partner, to protect the woman, the weaker partner, and to lay down his life for her. The Word does not say anything like this to the woman, only to the man. Where does this put the equality of the sexes? Nowhere, actually. The sexes are not equal or even equivalent in any sense except being equal heirs to the life of salvation. The original order is not thereby set aside, as the world has done, and as even the churches of today are wont to do. No, man was created first, woman after. Woman was taken out of man, not man out of woman. Woman is enclosed in man, her whole function is to be man’s help, to bear the offspring of his seed, to care for it, and to create and keep the inner world. Man is the covering of woman, his whole function is to shelter and provide for all needs, including safety and even salvation, and together with his brothers to create and keep the outer world.
A newly wed Orthodox couple is crowned with literal crowns, blessed with all the scriptural blessings from Adam and Eve down through all the patriarchs and matriarchs, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel. Later, they are presented with gold- and silver-covered icons of Christ in His first and second comings. The woman receives the icon of His first coming, it portrays Mary with the infant Jesus in her bosom. The man receives the icon of Christ’s second coming, Jesus holding the Book of the Gospels. The meaning is this: Woman conceives and bears what man begets—children. Man conceives and bears what woman begets—wisdom. In each case there is seed, and the seed is of God, planted paradoxically. The man who is the more spiritual plants a carnal seed to beget offspring according to the flesh. The woman who is the more material plants a spiritual seed to beget offspring according to the spirit. These are the gates into the mysterion of marriage, according to the Word of God. It is by the devil’s envy, that woman now seeks to be as man, and man surrenders his headship to woman.
The truths of scripture are so plain that we in the pride of our false knowledge exchange the fruit for leaves, the silver for dross, and our wine is watered.
Go back and learn what the Word teaches, and be bearers of the Word, and to one another submit as it was written in the beginning, in the Garden, while you wait for readmittance to partake forever of the Bread of Life, lovely Jesus nailed to the Tree.