TILL DEATH DO US PART

CHARLES H. PERKINS

TILL DEATH DO US PART

(1 Peter 4:8) "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.' ”
 (Ephesians 5:15-16) “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
(Ephesians 4:26-27) 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.”
Here lately, these passages have taken on a much deeper meaning for me regarding the application of their principles to marriage.  In the past couple of weeks, I have been to two funerals where husbands have lost their wives.  I starting thinking about how many men and women I know personally who have lost their spouses over the last few years. I was truly almost shocked when I realized how many there were.  There was a wide age range: young, middle aged and senior.  Some succumbed to lingering illnesses. Some died suddenly and unexpected.
 In thinking about all of this, 1 Peter 4:8 came to mind with its admonishment to love one another deeply because love covers a multitude of sin.  In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff.  And then I thought of Ephesians 5:15-16) pointing out the importance of not wasting time. Ephesians 4:26-27 reminds me of how important it is to protect my space (my mind) from silly thoughts and vain imaginations.
Reflecting on the people I know who have lost their spouses reminded me of just how precious time is and why it shouldn’t be wasted on silly time-stealing stuff. As I get older, time and space become more precious. It is through love that I protect my connection with my wife. I don’t know how much time I have left, but, I do know that I don’t have as much time going forward as I did in the past. I refuse to allow that time to be filled up with petty criticisms.  I refuse to allow my mind to be polluted with vain imaginations fueled by jealousy, suspicions and other things that would steal the joy I have in loving her. Every little criticism, every jealous thought, every negative comparison and such take away precious time and space from the enjoyment of loving your spouse.  I cannot give away that time and space.  I just don’t have the time.