You have committed to dedicating the rest of your life to loving and serving one woman. That is a high calling. What an honor.
I’ve decided to write this letter to remind you of something important. Something that by the grace of God you have not forgotten, something I hope you have not dismissed or moved beyond, something I pray you have held fast to. It is something that radically has changed your life, something that you are addicted too, something that excited and fuels you, something that runs through your veins; that something is the Gospel.
I want to remind you that despite what you think, you are still a sinner saved by Gods grace. That has not changed, and it never will. I want to remind you that there is nothing impressive about you. To the core you are a wicked sinner, and rebel who’s hands have murdered the author of time. I want to remember everything that your Savior has done for you. While you were still spitting in his face, and ripping skin of his back and legs, jamming a crown of thorns in his skull, nailing his wrists and feet to a tree, he pursued you, he loved you, he gave himself up for you. Jesus lived the life you could not live, he died the death should have died, and he gives the gift that you can not earn; grace. He did not do it because anything you do, not your good deeds, or your bad deeds, but because of his compassionate, holy, and unconditional sacrificial love. In your worst, he gave you his best.
I wanted to remind you of this, because in order to have a healthy marriage, you must be saturated in this. You can not possibly love her the way she ought to be loved if you have moved past the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This needs to fuel you. Only then can you come home after a long day of work and give her your undivided attention, only then can you turn off the t.v and do the dishes, take the garbage out, spend time with her, listen to her, invest in her, love her and pursue her even when she is being selfish, stubborn, unfair, or even sinning against you . In his worst, he gave you his best.
I remind you of the Gospel and in light of it I command you to sacrifice your life, for hers. Christ commands husbands to love their life like Christ loves the church.
How is that going Chance?
Are you loving her like Christ loves the church? Are you serving her selflessly? unconditionally? whole heartedly? Have you given your life for her? Have you given yourself up for her that she you might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word? are you patient with her are you kind? or are you envious, rude or arrogant towards her? are you irritable or resentful? do you rejoice at her wrong doing? have you become a coward like your father Adam? If so, shame on you from cowering from your responsibility to lead the family well. Shame on you for not giving your best.
Does this anger you? Whom am I to call you out on this? Im a single 20 year old past you, who does not know the first thing about women. Im like a dog chasing a fire truck aren’t I? I would not even know what to do if I caught it.
Ask me if I care.
If for some reason you’ve fell away from your responsibly of leading well, its time to put your pants on and repent of your stupidity and childlike behavior, become a man and give up your childish ways.
I pray and hope that you have stayed faithful and expect by the grace of God, you will. Keep loving well, stay rooted in his grace, and love that women well. Love endures all things... SO endure for the sake of the promise and remember that in your worst, He gave you his best.
Lead well.
With much love from ESBS 2011
20 year old Chance.
